Editors' XCHoice 2023 Submission: Still-Life Studies

Part of a on-going series of still lifes that I began during the lockdown, these color photographs depict carefully staged scenes, built around shared elements. Each photograph was taken in the same location, by window light, and draws entirely on objects and props found around my house. A few images pair completely unrelated objects, such as a mason jar full of orchid blooms, green velvet, and serviettes; others showcase a single piece such as a simple vase, or palm frond. While some photographs engage the viewer through bold colors, others rely on a more subdued palette to set their mood. Yet all share the same visual language, drawn from minimalist compositions built around found objects. Each composition asks its own questions: Does our perception of an object change when it is placed in a different visual context, or juxtaposed with another, unrelated object? More importantly, what can a still life tell us about ourselves, when we consume images so rapaciously, to the point of visual overload? As they look at these images, I would love for viewers to feel their gaze turn back on themselves, prompting them to take a moment as if they were part of a still life themselves, and think about their experience of that photograph. Art for me is not about an end product or process, but a state of being instead—it’s about what we feel when we come to grips with a particular work, whether as consumers or creators.