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In the world of art history, there is a long-held hierarchy that ranks painting genres as follows: landscape, portraits and, in third place, still life. After all, even a toddler can draw a flower, right? Over the centuries, however, appreciation for the ability to capture nature in a faithful and aesthetically pleasing manner has increased. Esteemed artists like Van Gogh, Cezanne and Renoir found it a worthy subject and so have the four artists featured in “The Art of Arrangement,” on view until Jan. 31 at the Bryant Street Gallery.
Gallery owner Karen Imperial said that, while she mainly displays artists working in an abstract style, she wanted to bring some variety into the schedule. She invited Marius Bosc, Miguel Rodriguez, Amber Jean Young and Elena Zolotnitsky to participate in a group show because, “I thought their renditions of flowers are very different and varied in style and medium, in addition to being well-executed.” When asked why still life paintings are so enduring in their appeal, she acknowledged that it was a difficult question. “I just think they are classic. I love that they are able to be depicted in different ways and sometimes things we see everyday become overlooked but a beautiful painting can bring them to our attention once again.”
Bosc, at age 84, is the elder statesman of the group. Known for his landscape paintings, he cites Tiepolo, La Tour and Morandi as artists who have influenced his work. “In a still life the artist expresses his or her experience of beauty, color, space and energy and transmits that to the viewer.”
In “Daisies in Jar,” done in oil on canvas, Bosc reduces the subject to basics; a few stems of flowers in a simple glass jar. The flowers are recognizable but not elaborate and the jar is actually the dominant object in the composition.Vertical strokes of red, green, pink and brown on the vase reflect and refract the broad slashes of color in the background. The artist said that he begins by arranging the flowers but then light, color, space and reflections take over.
“These are optical paintings. The interaction of Bay Area color, light and space creates a dynamic energy and movement that I am always discovering and presenting in my paintings.”
Zolotnitsky believes that, while still life is a centuries-old genre, it still has much to offer contemporary artists. “It provides a space for contemplation and reflection, but at the same time it offers immense creative freedom, enabling artists to convey deep meanings through seemingly simple arrangements.”
Her work is the most impressionistic of the group with bright pastel colors painted in a soft, gauzy manner. “Summer Lovin” is an oil-on-paper depiction of flowers (they might be roses) in a translucent vase. There are no distinct lines here; the vase floats above a surface and emerges from a diaphanous blue background. Not concerned with realism, the artist explained that, “I am painting archetypes of floral still lifes, where my major concern is an emotion portrayed.” In this quiet, cheerful rendition she has achieved the goal of expressing “an abundance of summer love.”
“Still life painting is perennially interesting to me because of the way the composition can tell a story about a moment in time,” said artist Young. She is represented in the show with five paintings executed in acrylic on canvas and several ceramic vessels. Young shared that her work is “rooted using color, pattern and plants as tools for building resilience to the grief and challenges of life.” (Her most recent solo show at Bryant Street Gallery, in 2022, was a response to the 2019 death of her mother, singer/songwriter Pegi Young.)
All of those aspects are present in “Pansies and Flying Geese,” a charming arrangement of seemingly disparate objects that are very adroitly balanced. The deep purple, cone-shaped vessel is the anchor for the flowers, which are realistically rendered, and the swath of fabric that seems to float at its side. The ‘flying geese’ refers to this fabric, which consists of a traditional quilt pattern composed of half and quarter-square triangles. A contrasting piece of fabric in green and orange has been placed behind the quilted one and everything is held in place by bold strokes of purple, pink and red pigment in the background.
Young said, “I compose layers of vibrant patterns, colors, plant life and other items found in domestic spaces to encourage optimism in times that feel increasingly dystopian.”
Her glazed ceramic pieces in the show are bold, colorful, full of whimsy — and decidedly not utilitarian. In “Vessel #3,” a pitcher is decorated in a stark black and white geometric pattern that is offset by a mass of blood-red roses that circle the base. Young explained that she has been working in ceramic for several years and that her goal was to “make urns and vessels using a similar visual language as I use to paint.”
Working in the realm of abstraction, artist Rodriquez is represented with five works on paper. The aptly named “Constant Dance” series is a kaleidoscope of color and movement, executed in pastels. When viewed up close they appear to be a psychedelic array of intricate, flowing and intersecting designs. But step back and floral shapes do appear. Rodriquez said that each drawing was done in one sitting, usually taking three to five hours. “I like to try to capture a slice of time and how I was feeling at the moment,” he said.
Each of the artists in the exhibition had their own take on why the genre of still life has endured for so long but Bosc summed it up most succinctly: “In a still life the artist captures a moment in time. The moment is frozen in time and becomes eternal.”
“The Art of Arrangement” is on view through Jan. 31 at Bryant Street Gallery, 532 Bryant St., Palo Alto. bryantstreet.com.
