Apples in a Porcelain Basket 2007

Editor: This is "Apples in a Porcelain Basket," a 2007 photograph by Sharon Core. What strikes me most is the almost aggressive realism. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Well, consider the labor involved. Core meticulously recreates historical still lifes using modern photographic techniques. It's a fascinating tension between the supposed objectivity of photography and the deliberate construction required to achieve this "realism." Think about the resources used—sourcing the porcelain, obtaining the specific fruits. Editor: So, it's less about the "natural" and more about the artificial production? Curator: Precisely. She’s commenting on our consumption, wouldn’t you say? The subtle decay on some of the fruit jars against the romantic ideal. Editor: Yes, they give me a somewhat bitter feel... and what about the porcelain basket itself? Curator: That's key. Porcelain production represents industrial manufacturing techniques. Placing these "natural" objects in such a crafted vessel underscores human intervention and commodity fetishism. Editor: Commodity fetishism? How so? Curator: It’s that disconnect. We see the apple but are disconnected from its cultivation, from the labor that harvested it and the system that delivers it. What purpose does such elaborate, materially intensive food photography hold in contemporary times? Editor: It really makes you think about how much effort went into producing an image of something that's ultimately transient and probably meant to be eaten, pointing back to how it was produced! Curator: Indeed! She's less interested in the apples themselves and more in unpacking the means of production and our relationship to material goods.