The Economy of Still Life: A Practice-Led Exploration of Still-Life Painting
Date
2016
Authors
Edwards, Michael
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
In this practice-led research project I have explored the genre
of still-life painting, with a focus on material culture. I came
to the project with a background as a still-life painter and
economist. I was curious about the relationship between the two
activities, and speculated that an artist’s approach to
still-life painting might reflect the overall economic
circumstances of the times. If so, how might a disruptive change
to those circumstances generate changes in the way paintings were
made? And how could material culture – the objects that help
define, interpret and understand the world we live in – be used
to represent economic conditions? In the light of questions such
as these, the objective for my project was to investigate how I
could effectively explore and model material culture through my
studio-based painting, and do so within the context of current
economic conditions and contemporary painting culture.
The accompanying exegesis tracks the project. It began with an
exploration of seventeenth-century Dutch still-life painting. I
drew on historical analysis of the period to explore how the
traditions of the still life could be adapted to contemporary
painting. An economic model for analysing convention and
innovation in the still-life genre was developed using evidence
from this period. As the project developed, the limitations of
this approach become increasingly apparent. This led to a
reassessment of my approach. I reviewed the balance between
objective analysis and subjective responses to economic
conditions through my painting. Contemporary artistic influences
were incorporated, including North American still-life painting
from the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, contemporary
painting from Asia and South America, and the work of Australian
still-life artists. This led to a re-conception of the ways a
still-life painting practice could constitute a distinctive,
creative engagement with material culture.
Description
Keywords
visual art, still life painting, economics
Citation
Collections
Source
Type
Thesis (PhD) - Exegesis
Book Title
Entity type
Access Statement
License Rights
DOI
10.25911/5d70ef141f5e4