Fenton, Gourds & Ballet Slippers 

Daniel Greene made this still life, "Fenton, Gourds & Ballet Slippers," in 2001. Greene belonged to a tradition of American painting that prized technical skill and sought to describe the world in a clear and accessible way. Yet, the social role of art was changing in this period. Pop Art and Conceptual Art had expanded the definition of art, challenging older notions of skill and beauty. Against that background, Greene’s still life can be seen as a self-conscious assertion of traditional values. Look at how the ballet slippers in the glass point to an enclosed domestic space. Note also the fine china and carefully arranged gourds, giving a sense of bourgeois comfort. To understand this work more fully, we might research the changing art market in the late 20th century and the rise of niche audiences for realist painting. In doing so, we can appreciate how artistic meaning is always shaped by social and institutional forces.