Mr Kris Smith

The work is an installation titled Still Life Moments. The still life genre has its origins in ancient times, but has been most popular in Western art since the 17th century. It is by its very nature a static analysis of a collection of objects from a fixed viewpoint, usually composed in an interior setting. The digital prints and animations produced for the exhibition Home is where the art is challenged this approach and questioned the genres relevance to contemporary art practice. The centrepiece of the installation was a multi-faceted time-lapse animation projected onto the top surface of a table style gallery plinth. Inspired by cubism, this kaleidoscopic animated image re-presented a sunlit version of a traditional viewpoint juxtaposed with views from below photographed through both clear and diffused glass over a fourteen-hour period. By isolating components of objects and documenting the discreet movement of daylight in otherwise unchanging environments, new insights are gained into the nature of diurnal and seasonal time rhythms, while at the same time enhancing the viewers understanding of reflected light dynamics: and in this particular case, redefining the concept of a still life. Participation in the exhibition was by invitation only. This was a major group show in which the work appeared alongside more traditional approaches to the genre, including paintings, sculptures and linocut prints. The research was disseminated via a professional full colour published catalogue and a seminar held in the gallery during the exhibition period