IU Art Museum displays still lifes

The IU Art Museum recently put up a three-painting installation titled "Late Twentieth Century Still Life." The international exhibit consists of paintings created during the 1970s and '80s. \nOne of the displayed pieces is by the Iceland-born American Louisa Matthiasdottir. The splotchy oil on canvas created in 1972 is titled "Still Life with Sausage and Bean Pot." The realistic painting uses contrasting colors to draw in the eye. The painting depicts red and green vegetables whose colors are complimented by the lively neutrals of beige and gray used in the table and background.\nIn 1975 American Janet Fish painted "Wine and Cheese Glass," a whimsical arrangement of life-size goblets reflecting light. \n"I can see a mirror image from the street scene behind these glasses," said Museum security guard Paul Bertermann. "It makes me wonder what this is all a reflection of."\nMoroccan artist Claudio Bravo created "Squash" with pastel on paper in 1985. With elongated green vegetables in front of a bright red background, "Squash" has a surrealistic feel. The intricately patterned tablecloth complements the vegetables resting on top.\n"These are three very beautiful paintings by important contemporary artists, and none of them have been on view for several years. So for me, they were logical paintings to put on display," said Jenny McComas, a museum curator. "Still lifes help us see our everyday objects and surroundings in a different way. "\nThe Art Museum holds many paintings in storage and rotates them through the gallery for display, which is why these particular paintings have not hung on gallery walls for several years. Bertermann said he was happy to see the paintings again.\nThe still lifes represent a well-established tradition of art. Every generation has interpreted object in different ways through their still-life paintings. The IU Art Museum has still lifes dating back to the 17th century.\n"It's interesting to see how artists have interpreted the same objects through time," said Diane Pelrine, associate director of curatorial services. \nThe installation will remain on display at the IU Art Museum until the end of the semester. \n— Contact staff writer Benjames Derrick at bderrick@indiana.edu.