WHAT IS A STILL LIFE;WHAT CAN THEY TELL US?

WHAT IS A STILL LIFE?

CaravaggioStill Life with Fruit1605

A work of art consisting of inanimate subject matter (natural or man-made)

WHAT CAN A STILL LIFE TELL US?

Kim KiraContemporary Still Life with Selly-Belly-Candies2009

Time frameCulture

Individual (artist)Socio-Economic StatusGeographical Location

Kim Kira, Contemporary Still Life with One Dollar, 2008

WHY STILL LIFES?

• allow artists more compositional freedom (vs. landscape or portrait)

• Symbolic freedom (ex: when religious figures – such as Jesus - were not allowed to be painted, individuals would paint symbols to represent those figures).

• Educational purposes (organic subject matter)

WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF OBJECTS THAT HOLD A SPECIFIC MEANING IN WESTERN CULTURE?

• Wedding band

• Bald eagle

• White picket fence

• Heart

DO OBJECTS/SYMBOLS HOLD DIFFERENT MEANING DEPENDING ON THE INDIVIDUAL OR CONTEXT?

“Until the 20th century, the swastika was the symbol of good fortune, prosperity, and longevity in many Far Eastern countries. The word swastikacomes from the Sanskrit svasti, which means good fortune, luck, and well-being. In Buddhism, the swastika represents the turning of the “Dharma wheel”, and thereby promotes goodwill, compassion, and generosity to all sentient beings.”

DO OBJECTS HAVE MORE MEANING ONCE THEY BECOME ART?

STILL LIFE AS SELF-PORTRAITAudrey Flack

Robert Jackson

OBJECTIVE:

• Create a composition of 3-5 objects

• Objects must symbolize you (deeper than just interests)

• Using oil pastels OR chalk pastels, create a still life drawing that is also a “self-portrait”

CRITERIA:

• Student erased all smudges and fingerprints. (5 points)

• Student created a meaningful composition and attempted to represent your theme. (15 points)

• Student drew objects using the correct proportions and made a life like representation of the still life. (15 points)

• Student used realistic colors and created a full range of values using colored chalk. (15 points)