October 28, 2019

Looking at the Overlooked: Four Essays on Still Life Painting by Norman Bryson is a series of essays which analyze and theorize the still life genre dating back to antiquity. Still life is not often theorized about, given its history of being low in the hierarchy of genres. The essay entitled “Xenia” is about still life painting dating back from antiquity describing still life in relation to representation and power. I was particularly interested in this chapter’s discussion of nature versus culture. Objects such as figs and raw milk represent an accessibility and hospitality to guests, whereas breads and wines might signify elitism and social division. The essay “Rhopography” continues this discussion by describing still life as one of two types: dealing with the exceptional and unique individual and dealing with the routines of daily life (megalography versus rhopography). I think that this discussion is especially interesting in relation to my work because my work can either function to tell a personal narrative or it can choose to focus on the more mundane and benign aspects of daily life. My work can be either completely still and formal or show sign signs of living. Still lifes can appear to exist in a vacuum or they can seem to be a snapshot from the every day. Considering these aspects as I choose how to represent the still life in my work, I can be more intentional with the ideas I communicate and my consistency and purpose in doing so. As I read more of this text, I find that it might be a useful reference in my thesis as I talk about still life in a historical context and how formal or conceptual aspects appear in my work.

This week I edited last week's video in attempt to address some of the thoughts proposed in the all-faculty critique: