Still Life #30 1963

Tom Wesselmann created "Still Life #30" to challenge conventional artistic boundaries by merging painting with three-dimensional objects. The vibrant colours and hyperrealistic details capture the essence of domestic life in post-war America. Wesselmann’s still lifes invite reflection on consumer culture and its impact on identity. By combining everyday objects, like food and household items, he creates a tableau that simultaneously celebrates and critiques American abundance. The pink refrigerator and arrangement of consumer goods evoke the gendered space of the domestic sphere, reflecting the societal expectations placed on women during this period. Wesselmann's work encourages us to consider the politics embedded in the everyday. The seductive arrangement of food and objects hints at the underlying complexities of desire, consumption, and the construction of identity in a rapidly changing world.