Still Life 1949

This is a still life by Gregoire Boonzaier, made with a combination of pastels and paint. Boonzaier is interested in the way the image comes together, stroke by stroke. There’s no attempt to hide the handmade quality, the rough edges, or the unevenness of the strokes. It’s like a visual diary of the artist’s encounter with these ordinary objects. I love the way Boonzaier lays down these colors – dusty blues, browns, and soft greens. Look at how the pastel is applied with a scratchy, almost impatient touch, giving the surface a tactile quality. The lines are tentative, yet they define the forms in a way that feels both solid and ethereal. Notice how the dark outlines, especially around the pots, create a sense of depth, while the lighter areas almost float. Boonzaier seems to me to be following in the footsteps of artists like Bonnard, who also used everyday scenes to explore the emotional resonance of color and form. Ultimately, it’s this openness to the unexpected that makes this still life so engaging.