Still Life as a Metaphor- Journals

Justine Reyes- Vanitas
Using Journals:
British journal of photography- Dec 2010, Volume 157, issue 7783. Page 26 (Projects -work in progress)

This article discusses the objects Reyes has photographed as vessels of memory.

© JUSTINE REYES
A DANCE WITH DEATH AND DECAY: Inspired by 17th century Dutch still life painting, the photographs from Justine Reyes’s latest Vanitas series have generated considerable art world buzz. Pictured here, Still Life with Chicken Game and Flowers.

Justine Reyes uses objects from her late grandmother to relate the image to her family heritage and history. She has also used items of her own to represent her and dying flowers and food to portray the inevitability of death and decay.
Her work is inspired by 17th century dutch oil paintings, which gives her photos depth and refers to history and time passing by. The title of her work Vanitas is the Latin word for 'vanity', which is closely connected to emptiness and uselessness. Reyes's work shows a contract between the frivolity of modern items set up as 17th century still life painting, with a black back drop and a composition of rich oil based colours.
Justine uses a large format camera in a studio to create these pieces of work, which are carefully lit, each item selected to create the desires affect.

Justine uses the objects in her still life images as a metaphor for the body, the decomposing bones and decaying flowers and fruit are an allusion of the human body and the modern items are those things we leave behind. A metaphor of the memories we are left with.

Still Life with Banana, Purse and Change, 2009. © Justine Reyes


Other resources I used and read:
http://nymphoto.blogspot.com/2009/08/conversation-with-justine-reyes.html