Still life genre – For investigating this genre I found 2 helpful articles online which I have shared below:
https://www.tate.org.uk/art/student-resource/exam-help/still-life
https://artuk.org/discover/stories/is-there-still-life-in-still-life
In reading the above it seems to me that Still life has a variety of uses and purposes for the artist. It can be a means of practising or experimenting in the skill and techniques of not only painting or drawing but also of composition. It can also help in developing observational skills – by looking more keenly at the environment around you and finding interest in everyday life.
Still life also gives the artist a means of expressing their view of contemporary issues or for investigating ideas. Over time it has developed from a genre which was viewed on the lower end of the hierarchy of art tradition into something which can be desirable, decorative, personal and informative.
I looked at 3 paintings by contemporary artists – Peter Jones – ‘Ollie Monkey’, Rebecca Scott ‘The perfect hostess’ and Cindy Wright ‘Nature Morte 2’. Each produced still life’s which were not abstract in their technique i.e. they were very realistic representations, but were presented either to trigger thought or interest in the subject matter. I don’t feel that in general there is much difference in the practice of these contemporary artists with the traditional practice which I have read about above and which has evolved over time; an initial search of Still life in online galleries results in many images with similar subject matter and with similar compositions albeit with a wider variation in styles and medium. However, I feel the view and application of the genre has broadened significantly and therefore artists are able to use the genre much more widely and to contribute towards other purposes such as social and environmental issues; it is no longer cast aside as a lower form of art.
Positive and negative spaces – I have selected 4 contemporary artists working today and discussed their use of positive and negative space below.
Gary Hume, Begging for it, 1994 (gloss paint on panel)
In this painting the positive space is the subject of a person holding their hands as if in prayer. The artist uses black paint to draw the hands into the foreground with some lines to detail the fingers in a slightly lighter tone. The hands therefore appear more 3 dimensional and it is possible to see the form and shape of the hands and fingers and the direction they are facing. The rest of the subject is painted in blue but with no detail, and therefore is only distinguished from the background or negative space by the difference in colour. The painting therefore seems to be back to front in terms of use of colour; usually you would expect to see the foreground and positive spaces in bolder colours with black or darker tone reserved for the negative spaces or shadows and shapes between subjects. Despite this the painting makes sense and there is no difficulty in seeing the perspective or identifying the subject; the use of colour helps to draw attention to the position of the hands and despite the lack of detail in the rest of the image there is enough to identify the form of a person.
Emma Alcock, Reflected Window II (Oil on canvas)
The subject of this painting is negative spaces and shapes created by reflection. The colours and tones are very subtle, there is just basic use of shapes which is enough to give a sense of space, perspective and context. The image is a familiar one to anyone as being commonly reflected against a wall in their own home and therefore without the need for positive shapes the artist can invoke a memory which fills the rest of the image through the viewers own memory and experiences.
Julian Opie, Imagine you are walking, 1998-9 (screenprint on paper)
The above image again uses very simple shapes to imply negative and positive spaces, to give dimension and a sense of scale and perspective. The negative spaces form mainly the ground, the sky and shadows but seem most important parts in defining the subject as without them there would be no sense to the image.
Gillian Carnegie, Untitled 4, 2004 (aquatint and etching on paper)
The artwork above again emphasises the negative space in the subject and uses this to provide more information about what can’t be seen and the setting of the subject e.g. facing a window in daylight, as well as to give form to the setting i.e. on a table. The negative space of the background is without any detail and by being very dark enhances the detail on the table and the sense of space around it by suggesting depth. The use of dark and light in this image is in contrast to the first image by Gary Hume as discussed above.
Deborah McAulay 