Still Still Life

15 Apr-10 Jun 2023

Overview

The term Still life appears throughout art history where it is often used to describe an artwork that depicts inanimate and often commonplace objects. Regularly featuring foodstuffs such as fruit, cheese and bread alongside household items such as drinking glasses, vases, cooking pots and flowers, Still life not only celebrates and draws our attention to the stuff of everyday, but is also used symbolically to send out messages about status, society, and universal truths.

Including works on loan from Salford Museum and Art Gallery, Touchstones Rochdale and the University of Salford Art Collection alongside works from the Grundy collection, this exhibition brings historical works into dialogue with contemporary examples that reference, reimagine and subvert the term. In doing so Still Still Life not only underlines the enduring appeal of this approach to making art, but also shows how Still life remains a relevant area of investigation for artists today.