Still Life 1926

Editor: This is William H. Johnson's "Still Life" from 1926, created with oil paint. I’m immediately struck by the…almost aggressive application of paint. It’s far from delicate! How would you unpack the materiality of this piece? Curator: Well, first consider the objects depicted. Johnson's choice of kitchen items - the grater, the bottle, the bowl - points towards a concern with everyday life, domestic labor. These were readily available objects. They suggest both necessity and consumption. Editor: So, you're saying the focus on ordinary objects elevates them, forcing us to consider their purpose? Curator: Exactly. And look closer. Consider the labor invested in producing the materials themselves - the glass of the bottle, the metal of the grater, even the pigments of the oil paint. All of these involve complex processes of extraction, manufacturing, and distribution, embedded in broader social and economic systems. Editor: I never thought about it that way. How the accessibility and manufacture of these materials impacts our perception? Curator: And also consider Johnson’s method! The impasto and the seemingly crude, almost primitive handling of the oil paint… do you think that serves to highlight the labor of artistic creation itself, perhaps mirroring the work involved in producing the objects depicted? He doesn’t shy away from revealing the hand of the artist. Editor: It does, actually. The roughness is revealing, and there's a tension between representing 'stillness' and the active work that has created it. The means of making IS the meaning! Curator: Precisely. The visible brushstrokes and the thickness of the paint contribute to an awareness of the production. Editor: Thanks, seeing it this way definitely sheds new light on the subject, highlighting both its presence and process of becoming. Curator: Agreed! Looking closely at these layers really unveils Johnson's deep engagement with artistic practices.