Synopses & Reviews
This richly rewarding book reveals how leading artists of the twenty-first century are reinvigorating the still life, a genre previously synonymous with the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Old Masters. The audacious still lifes celebrated here challenge that historical supremacy and redefine what it means to be a work of nature morte, or “dead nature.” Whether through painting, drawing, sculpture, video, or other forms, contemporary artists have drawn on the tradition to create works of conceptual vivacity, beauty, and emotional poignancy.
Michel Petry has structured the book according to the classic categories of the still-life tradition—Flora, Food, House and Home, Fauna, and Death. Each chapter explores how the timeless symbolic resonance of the memento mori—a reminder of death, change, and the passing of time—has been rediscovered for a new millennium. Among the artists represented are John Currin, Saara Ekström, Elmgreen & Dragset, Renata Hegyi, Damien Hirst, David Hockney, Gary Hume, Jeff Koons, McDermott & McGough, Beatriz Milhazes, Gabriel Orozco, Marc Quinn, Sam Taylor-Wood, and Cy Twombly.
Review
"[A] profusely illustrated volume . . . richly rethinks one of art's everlasting topics." Art & Auction
Review
" " Surface
Review
"Confirms that still life is very much alive and well as an art form." Surface
Synopsis
Showcases contemporary artists working in a range of media who are finding new inspiration in the still life tradition
Synopsis
Michel Petry has structured the book according to the classic categories of the still-life tradition Flora, Food, House and Home, Fauna, and Death. Each chapter explores how the timeless symbolic resonance of the memento mori a reminder of death, change, and the passing of time has been rediscovered for a new millennium. Among the artists represented are John Currin, Saara Ekstrom, Elmgreen & Dragset, Renata Hegyi, Damien Hirst, David Hockney, Gary Hume, Jeff Koons, McDermott & McGough, Beatriz Milhazes, Gabriel Orozco, Marc Quinn, Sam Taylor-Wood, and Cy Twombly.
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About the Author
Michael Petry is Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art, London.