Paulette Tavormina Archives - The Curated House

The Curated Collection | Jessica Backhaus

“To see the world in a grain of sand,

to see heaven in a wild flower,

hold infinity in the palm of your hands,

and eternity in an hour.”

William Blake

I’ve been learning to slow down and leave room for contemplation of late. Sometimes we learn this on our own, sometimes circumstances thrust this change upon us, but it is always a lesson to be received with gratitude. The usual pace of life had me missing far too many of the fleeting yet beautiful details, and it’s only in slowing down that we become more apt observers of ourselves and the world around us.

I feel I see that practice of – slowing down to see things through fresh eyes – through the lens of art photographer Jessica Backhaus. Her “I Wanted To See The World Series” has reminded me that beauty is often reflected back for us to admire if we only take the time to see it clearly.

Jessica’s latest series will be featured in the Robert Klein Gallery booth at AIPAD this week, showing alongside the brilliant Paulette Tavormina.

Today, I hope the search for inspiration teaches us all to slow down a bit and see the world through fresh eyes.

The Curated Collection | Paulette Tavormina

Art is meant to elicit a response. To move you. To draw your attention to pain or beauty; to provoke thought or emotion. To filter the world into a more meaningful experience. To heighten and distill what is beautiful and unique in the world, and perhaps even make you gasp just a little bit.

“Figs and Morning Glories”

And food? Well food is sustenance. But much more than that, it is comfort. It is a means of expressing love. It is a way of showing honour and celebrating. It is the foraging and forming of nature into beauty and meaning for our bodies and our palettes. It is a way of making everyday life an art form in and of itself.

“Crabs”

Married together, these two forms of sustenance – food for both body and soul – meet in the stunning work of New York photographer Paulette Tavormina.

“Yellow Cherries and Crab Apples”

Weaving together a contemporary medium with an old world aesthetic, Tavormina’s dramatic photographs harken back to the sumptuous lighting and decadent details of 17th century Old Master still life paintings. The vibrant saturation and contrast in the images brings the masterfully styled food and flora to life, elevating the everyday to the status of extraordinary.

“Watermelon Radishes”

“Pears”

“I have long been fascinated by the magic of everyday objects, the majesty and delicacy of nature, and the world of culinary delight,” said Tavormina. “I have blended decades of photography and food styling with a love of 17th century Old Master paintings to create these still-life photographs. My greatest influences have been Francisco de Zurbaran, Adriaen Coorte and Giovanna Garzoni, in particular Zurbaran’s mysterious use of dramatic light, Coorte’s unique placement of treasured objects and Garzoni’s masterful composition and color palette. The works of these artists remind us of the irretrievable passing of time – tempus fugit.”

“Sour Cherries”

“Cranberry Beans”

Tavormina’s work can be found in museums, corporate and private collections and have been exhibited all of the world including shows in New York, Paris, London and Moscow. This current collection is showing at MARCH in San Francisco until June 1st and can be purchased by contacting owner and curator Sam Hamilton.

Wishing you a Monday filled with light and contrast and the time to drink in the sumptuous, decadent details in the everyday.

xo
s.