Still life with salt shaker, Apr 8, 1988, lino print, 45.5 x 56 cm
In my use of jars and other still life objects I consider the quality of light, the transparency and the relationship of the objects one to the other. The space inside a jar and between each object is carefully considered.
The linoleum print is an earlier work that shows one composition of the objects and a certain quality of light. A piece of used floor linoleum was used for the print as there was a readymade texture in the surface of the linoleum that gave the desired effect when printed. The background grey colour shows this texture feature.
The drawing below, My Childhood Night Sky, continues the involvement with the still life. While planning the drawing I recollected the wonder one has as a child of space, stars, planets and how simple objects through ones imagination can become something else. The planets are Saturn, Jupiter and the red planet Mars.
I consider how to use non traditional still life objects to convey the idea. Jars contain not only objects but also memories and ideas. So the idea of saving something of value, like a relic, is also considered in these still life works. The Tower of Babel and David and Golliath are two other recent examples of this approach to the still life genre. The Prophet’s Comb is another, an earlier linocut print.
My Childhood Night Sky, March 20, 2011, pencil drawing, 49.5 x 63.5 cm