Still Life with a Book 1988

Petros Malayan made this painting, "Still Life with a Book," with oil on canvas. I’m imagining the artist building up the layers, letting the still life emerge—that jug looks like it's been there for ages. It's lovely how the white of the jug on the left jumps out, almost like a spotlight in this cozy scene. You know, it’s easy to think still life is just about the objects, but it's so much more than that. Look at the patterned fabrics, and the way Malayan plays with them—it gives such a sense of place. What’s with the book? A book about what? It’s a little like Giorgio Morandi, with the understated color palette and simplified forms. You can see a sort of intimacy in the objects chosen. I think painting can be a way of slowing down, observing the world, and seeing the beauty in everyday things. It’s a way of talking to other artists, across time, in a language that’s all about seeing and feeling.