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Colnaghi is pleased to announce an exhibition dedicated to still lifes, consisting of selected Old Master paintings alongside the photographs of contemporary American artist Paulette Tavormina. Coinciding with The RHS Chelsea Flower Show (23 to 27 May), the exhibition is the first to show her contemporary photographs alongside Old Master paintings, and includes new works, as well as a selection featured in the artist’s recently published monograph (Paulette Tavormina: Seizing Beauty, The Monacelli Press, 2016 – (review copies available on request)).
The exhibition will include 15 Old Masters and 15 photographs, including paintings by renowned artists including Luis Edigio Meléndez (1716-1780), Juan van der Hamen y León (1596-1631), Giacomo Ceruti (1698-1767) and Bartolomeo Cavarozzi (1587-1625).
Jorge Coll, CEO of Colnaghi: “We are delighted to be working with Paulette for this exhibition; she is a widely admired artist whose work is held in museum, corporate and private collections, and who was recently awarded the Pollock-Krasner Foundation grant in 2016. Still lifes are perhaps the most timeless of pictures, so it has been a fascinating process selecting Old Master paintings and photographs for the exhibition alongside such an insightful contemporary still life artist.”
Paulette Tavormina: “Beyond the beauty, I want the viewer to see as I see, to feel as I feel when a leaf balances just-so, pointing the eye to the next little narrative that is part of the larger work. This beauty around us is fleeting, and yet can be forever embedded in a perfect moment that is a photograph. Creating these heartfelt vignettes allows me an avenue to explore the intimate instances of my life, to tell stories of love and loss, of joy and sorrow, all while feeling grateful for the rich abundance of life, then seizing and sharing that beauty.
It is a dream come true to be exhibiting at Colnaghi with its rich and revered history. It’s truly an honor to have my photographs featured alongside selections from the gallery’s quintessential Old Master paintings. This show is the culmination of shared passion and immense dedication; a uniquely collaborative experience in which I was fortunate and grateful to work closely with the curators and their associates whose collective vision is reflected in this exhibition.
Featured are photographs from several of my series over the last eight years including newer images such as the Orchard Pears, 2016 and Zebra Finches and Tulips, 2017. I had always hoped my photographs would affect someone as deeply as the Old Master paintings have affected me. To have the works in conversation is the realization of my greatest artistic aspiration. Art is a continuum; the past and present are timeless, woven together with gossamer threads. When captured in a photograph or a painting, still life gives immortality to a single moment in all its beauty and fragility.”
Paulette Tavormina lives and works in New York City. Amidst the bustle that defines the city, she can often be found at one of the city’s many farmers markets searching for the perfectly imperfect flora that characterize her photographs. Her arrangements often recall the sumptuous detail of seventeenth century Old Master still life painters and serve as intensely personal interpretations of timeless, universal stories. With a painterly perspective reminiscent of Francisco de Zurbarán, Adriaen Coorte and Giovanna Garzoni, Tavormina creates worldly still lives. She was awarded the Pollock-Krasner Foundation grant in 2016. Her monograph book, Paulette Tavormina: Seizing Beauty was published by The Monacelli Press, 2016 and reviewed by The New York Times and Architectural Digest. Tavormina’s photographs are in museum, corporate and private collections and have been exhibited in Paris, London, Moscow, Lugano, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Palm Beach, Boston, Palm Desert and San Francisco. Tavormina also works as a commercial photographer - she has photographed works of art for Sotheby’s, collaborated with The Fabulous Beekman Boys on their three heirloom cookbooks and photographed The Del Posto Cookbook with chef Mark Ladner, published by Hachette. She has been commissioned by National Geographic Magazine and The New York Times among others. Previously, Tavormina was a prop and food stylist in Hollywood, her work seen on the silver screen in seven films such as Nixon, The Astronaut's Wife and The Perfect Storm.
Colnaghi, 26 Bury Street, London SW1Y 6AL
