Still Life 

Editor: Here we have Samuel Peploe's "Still Life," painted with oil using an impasto technique. What strikes me is how the thick application of paint gives the objects such a tangible presence, almost demanding to be touched. How do you approach this work? Curator: What I find compelling is considering the societal function of still life itself. Before industrialization made such produce more broadly accessible, the display of fresh fruit and fine objects symbolized wealth and a life of leisure. Given Peploe's engagement with Post-Impressionism, do you think the emphasis is on the inherent value or aesthetic quality of these common commodities? Editor: That’s a really interesting point! The average person might not have had access to these things and painting them almost immortalizes that opulence. However, isn't there also something inherently tactile in the visible brushstrokes and thick paint that pulls away from mere symbolic value and pushes this toward celebrating the act of painting? Curator: Absolutely! And we can go further: What do you make of the darker tones used to portray something typically vibrant and joyous, such as ripe fruits? This manipulation transforms something as commonplace as a bowl of fruit. One has to ask, is Peploe critiquing or celebrating bourgeois notions of value and status here? Editor: It's complex! Maybe he is exploring both aspects. There's this beautiful tension between making everyday objects into commodities and also showcasing their tangible material nature. So much comes back to his choice of materials then, right? Curator: Precisely! This exploration of process, materiality, and representation exposes not only the artwork’s material construction but also its role in constructing, perhaps even questioning, our perception of luxury. Editor: That's fascinating; I will never look at a simple bowl of fruit the same way again. Thinking about what these objects represent rather than just taking them at face value adds such an important new layer.