An interesting photographic exhibition titled “Garden of Eden”, by Polish/Canadian artist Andrzej Maciejewski, will take place at Dimbola Museum & Galleries on the Isle of Wight from 9th November 2012 – 4th January 2013.
Garden of Eden is a series of still-life photographs, inspired by old masters of painting, like Michelangelo Caravaggio, Henri Fantin Latour, Louis Melendez or Dutch Masters, but shows modern fruits and vegetables from supermarkets, with plastic stickers or wraps intact.
“Garden of Eden” was completed in 2011, shortlisted in the Sony World Photo Awards (still-life category). and the subject of a video (see below) in the Contemporary Art Center in Las Vegas.
Andrzej Maciejewski – Garden of Eden – states:
Our society created naïve approach to the nature, glorifying its fertility and opulence. In same time our civilization harnessed and enslaved it. The fruits and vegetables in the supermarkets, numbered and labeled, certified and standardized, are very good example. The 21st century society has created new Garden of Eden, where everything looks perfect and flawless. But many things, like the taste, the singularity and often even the humanity, have been lost during this process. The fruits and vegetables are no longer the amazing awards for hard work of human hands in cooperation with nature forces, the cherished crop provided by my neighbours. Their presence on my table no longer depends on where I live, on weather graciousness or on my long-year effort. They are massproduced in manufactures, often in the other end of the world, with the use of machines and chemicals. They are half-artificial.
In my project I contrasted this reality with the idyllic pictures that sort of automatically come to your mind when you think about “the gifts of nature”. Our culture has created many idealistic myths that we believe in and which make us blind to the reality. This is also the case of the relationship between us and the nature. From the paintings of old masters to modern commercials, we still get the same picture of “natural”, healthy and beautiful fruits and vegetables, but the truth is that we are slowly destroying whatever is left of nature on our planet for the sake of money and comfort. My project is an inspiration to the reflection and discussion on this and many other topics.
View picture gallery click here
Garden of Eden at Dimbola Museum & Galleries: 9th November 2012 – 4th January 2013.
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