Store Bought Still Life by CoreyBlack
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Description
And now for something completely different. Since my mobility is rather limited of late, I’m trying to find things to photograph around the house. Every artist has to do at least one still life in their life (it’s in the Constitution, I checked), so here’s mine. Since I don’t possess the ability to grow my own food I have to buy it at the corner store, like most city dwellers. I recall my mother always derisively complaining about “store bought food” when I was a kid; this after returning from the local Kroger, with complaints about the prices. Mother always made her own cookies and store bought ones were never allowed in the house. What does this have to do with this picture? I have no idea. I’m middle-aged, I’m taking a massive amount of medication, and I am prone to ramble. By the way, there was originally a banana with this arrangement, but I was hungry and so I ate it.
This picture was made on a desk (since I don’t actually have a wooden kitchen table) in an apartment in the Albany Park area of Chicago on a date I don’t particularly care to remember. In keeping with my anal retentive habit, however, it was October 28, 2010.
Comments (16)
Chipka
It seems to be around this time of year that Still Lifes become somewhat important; maybe it's the weather. I did a bunch of apples at this time of year way the heck overseas in a town the size of your kitchen, only it had a castle in it. Okay, enough of that ramble. This is a great shot and I love the warmth of the colors and the soft light. I know that desk and I know what's IN that desk, since it's not actually yours! You've done wonders with it here, and that's quite a good thing. I love the idea of a still life with a label on the pear! I also love the idea of art that gets eaten at some point after its creation. In short, I like the very idea of this piece and it's quite a gorgeous representation of an art-form that is harder to do than you'd think...photographing a still life is a challenge in that still lifes are such a cliche...anyone can do one but it take someone with a particular eye to do one well and this one is done quite well. This is a great piece of work!
zoren
fruits of the fall season, nice still life
KatesFriend
Very nice shot and the colours are well suited to the season as well as the holiday. I always find a bowl of fruit attractive. But like you these things are a practical example of the Buddhist(?) concept of 'non-permanence' - I like to consume the art. In North America we say, "you can't have your cake and eat it too". As a boy I never understood that expression since, what's the point of having or making a cake if you don't eat it?
whaleman
Pardon the pause here...that pear or orange looked good to me...down to the fridge...got an apple, a Macintosh...there, that's better...
durleybeachbum
Courbet had no problem in producing still life after still life (still lives?), and neither did Cezanne. They were both quite fond of doing fish, as well as apples and I'm glad I didn't share a studio with either of them. I started to do some grapes once, but, like you, I can resist anything but temptation. The resulting painting of a single grape was quite good. I do like the pic! An odd number is better, maybe you should have eaten the pear too!
flavia49
fantastic idea and realization!!
KateBlack10
nice shot corey - I'm with Chip, I especially like the sticker on the pear and the bruises on the pear really speak to me about this time of year....root cellars, things going underground, the last of the season, not at it's prime....the narrative make me laugh as always and I remember Mom's ramblings from the grocery store....now we are all doing it...
kasalin
A very beautiful idea and capture !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hugs, Karin :)
beachzz
The pear really makes this shot autthentic--I mean if all the fruit was perfect, it would just be another still life. You've made it REAL--but you better eat that pear soon!!
jeanebean
Pears are sensitive souls. They bruise easily. I was thinking why didn't you leave out that pear, but it does keep the pic from being just another still life. It feels like Fall with all the bright colors. Being the Mom in Corey and Kate's comments, it's interesting to learn what your offspring remember about you!
sandra46
a perfect creation and realization!
myrrhluz
I don't remember if store bought cookies were ever outlawed in our house, but we had mostly homemade ones too. I remember being told by my older sister, that eating cookie dough would give me worms. This would have been more effective if she hadn't been eating cookie dough at the time. Later there were times with friends and Pillsbury chocolate chip cookies, where we were lucky if any of the dough saw an oven at all. I like the pear and the sticker too. I like the orange, reds, and yellows of the fruit and their irregular shapes against the bowl's and table's circles and lines of tan and brown. Great still life!
auntietk
Oh man, I bet that pear was tasty! I hope you enjoyed it. Juicy and sweet and warm ... I would have eaten the pear and taken another picture. I love the family story and the backup from sis and mom! :)
anahata.c
Wow, so that's your mom & your sister! I really like your sister's work, and I had no idea she was your sister! And your mom! Great to see family reflections! Well I was gonna say that the pear DEFINITELY belongs, despite many people's feelings about bruised pears. (They have a hard life & lack in decent blood-coagulators. We should pity them.) Bruised bartletts are a must in fruit collections, one, for the pity factor; two, because no other fruit can look as pitiful; three, because the cuts & scratches invariably make us wonder who the hell did that to it (even though pears bruise just by sitting on a table: I've watched, it's true); and four, because it's the only fruit in this bunch with a tag still on it. (Love that you didn't remove it!) In fact, if you removed everything else but the pear---just that pitiful little pear in dark Rembrandt light---it'd still be a great shot. The nectarine---I assume that's a nectarine or a really pale plum---is also having a bad hair day. And the others look fine, though they seem like kids who have to pose for their parents but would rather be anywhere else. Not easy to get all those personalities in a still life. In addition, your narrative's a riot; and really, just to see if everyone's reading you should slip in a different date--- like August 4th, 1224. Something B.C...Anyway, it has no fav's & it's a fine capture of fruit pissed off at being photographed, and has a really funny narrative: So they go into my fav's. (Tell the fruits not to thank me: I hate letters from fruit.) I'm really sorry I have to end for now, but I'll be back when I return. Corey, I really wish you great healing & rest, and you gotta know, it's just great to see you back in all your humor & wit & observation & warmth & artistry, and I hope you get better with each day. Sorry I didn't get to your latest, but I will next time. Your gallery is so natural & fine & funny, it's such a fresh breeze for everyone; it's always a pleasure to come back here...
minos_6
I like the implications of this image. Still life captures of fruit are too often representations of perfection, whilst here we see "true" still life, with skin imperfections, and a label on the pear. The colours are gentle and soft which contrast well with the starkness of the image content. Very nice piece of work!
jascorpio
Like it!!!