M.F.A. graduating paper / The Extended Moments of Photographic Still Life: an accompaniment to the thesis exhibition, “Extended Moments”

Abstract

This paper is an exploration of the roots behind the photographic still lifes that I have created for my thesis exhibition. It begins with a description of the historical development of the still life genre and explores the work of artists which has influenced my own. The paper concludes with a detailed analysis of several specific photographs within the exhibition. The exhibition of forty-nine black and white photographs, many of which are toned and hand tinted, consists of a series which deals with preservation, memory, and mortality. Various stages of decay and preservation are juxtaposed within much of the work. The exhibition title, "Extended Moments", describes those inert plateaus which are preserved on film and mirror the actual extension of time within the print.