Nature Morte: A brush with death

My latest exhibition review for Church Times reflects on Nature Morte, a touring exhibition by MOCA London which is currently at the Guildhall Art Gallery:

'Can an exhibition change our understanding of what it means to be human? “Nature Morte” is an exhibition that essentially makes that claim, as it invites us to pause and look anew at the human condition.

The exhibition explores the chang­­ing significance of the still life (or nature morte in French) by bringing together historic still-life paintings and contemporary art­­works ...

“Nature Morte” can make the claim that still life is life-changing because the genre has never involved the innocent depiction of everyday objects, but has always utilised coded images.

For much of the history of the still-life, it has been Christian codes that viewers have been required to decipher.'

I have also written on the same exhibition for Artlyst in an article exploring whether art can transform society.

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Shovels & Rope - Death Or Glory.