https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ_ftM0ZXy8
Still life - traditional form of artistic representation
Long before photography appeared, 16th, 17th, 18th century, artists made paintings of various fruit, flowers, various objects. There were conventions, specific meanings. On surface, image is decorative, no deep meanings at all. Actually, the artist was trying to say? E.g a knife balanced on the edge of an orange that, life is almost about to drop, about to be at an end.
Photographers began to use the same format in the 19th century in its birth. The next time you at a photograph of some flowers/fruit, take some time to think about it further. Flowers will fade, fruit will decay, short life and gone before you realise.
Edward Steichen
End of day, butterfly casts long shadow. He was not a young man when taken, probably thinking about his own mortality. The composition is simple and beautiful, but the photograph is heavy with hidden meanings.
It is of importance to hold depth within a still life image, for symbolism is its nature. But I don't aim to keep to all of its stiff conventions. Fruit won't necessarily mean luxury, the colour red won't necessarily lead to anger or passion. In fact I aim to challenge conventional use within parts of my experiments.
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