Caroline Walker and Clare Woods in 'The Shape of Things: Still Life in Britain'
The Shape of Things features Modern and Contemporary British artists that delve into the rich symbolism of Still Life and explore how the genre has pushed boundaries and new ideas. The exhibition questions the idea that still life is a lesser genre, presenting how important it is to artists and society.
The exhibition shifts from 17th-century 'vanitas' paintings to post-impressionism to abstraction and from pop to conceptual art. It invites viewers to think about life's challenges, such as love and grief, identity and the subconscious, life and death and plenty and waste. Today, these challenges also include biodiversity loss, the legacy of colonialism, and climate change.
Showcasing a selection of works by modern and contemporary artists in Britain including Hurvin Anderson, Vanessa Bell, Edward Burra, Patrick Caulfield, Phoebe Cummings, Lucian Freud, Gluck, Duncan Grant, Richard Hamilton, Mona Hatoum, Jann Haworth, David Hockney, Lee Miller, Paul Nash, Ben Nicholson, William Nicholson, Eric Ravilious, Anwar Jalal Shemza, William Scott, Walter Sickert, Stanley Spencer, Rachel Whiteread, Caroline Walker and Clare Woods. The Shape of Things explores how these artists have used traditional art history to express the complexities of the human condition.
