Antique Shop 1979

Clarence Holbrook Carter made this picture, titled "Antique Shop," using serigraph. It’s full of vases and plates, flowers and figures. I think Carter wanted to capture the quiet allure of these timeworn items. Just imagine him, carefully arranging the objects, maybe shifting them slightly to catch the best light, trying to get the atmosphere just right. The dark background kind of contrasts with the delicate porcelain, but really sets off all the different shapes. He's probably thinking a lot about how the light plays across the surfaces, about the textures and the colors. It’s really nice, how he gets the shiny smoothness of the vases next to the rougher feel of the plates. He’s playing with the whole history of still life painting, while also making something that feels really personal. You know, artists are always talking to each other, even across time, borrowing ideas and pushing them in new directions. And here Carter shows us how a simple scene can be so rich with feeling, if you just take the time to really look.