Still Life with Six Colours 1965

Iain Baxter& created Still Life with Six Colours using vacuum-formed plastic, an industrial process more commonly used for packaging than art. The artwork is a playful commentary on the relationship between art, consumerism, and mass production. Baxter& arranges a series of clear, plastic paintbrushes in a neat row, each topped with a different primary or neutral colour. The use of vacuum-formed plastic gives the work a clean, almost sterile aesthetic, typical of commercial design. This is a far cry from the traditional, handcrafted still life paintings of the past. The plastic material also speaks to the disposable nature of consumer culture, contrasting with the enduring quality we often associate with fine art. By using this industrial process, Baxter& blurs the lines between high art and low craft. It challenges us to reconsider the value we place on originality and authorship in a world of mass-produced objects, as well as the labour processes they entail. Ultimately, the artwork encourages a rethinking of traditional art categories and their cultural worth.