Browse Items (208 total)

An apparently straightforward scene of home construction reveals a more complex, interconnected relationship between humans and the rest of nature. In the left foreground we see the stump of a tree, either downed by windfall or more likely cut down.…

The plant depicted here probably is a Japanese arrowhead (Saggitaria japonica), which is native to marshes and due to its edible tuber occasionally called a “duck potato.” Kadowaki’s interest certainly is aesthetic—due to its distinctive leafs and…

We approach this still life obliquely, as a momentary and almost casual glimpse of domestic space: a covered table is pushed against the wall, next to a door frame, holding a few everyday objects set down in passing. Yet each of them points beyond…

A beautifully balanced composition depicts, on either side of its central planter, a knobbly gourd and ringed vase of similar shape. Our conception of what constitutes a garden blurs distinctions between human-cultivated plants and human-created…

This enigmatic watercolor is organized around the small figurine at left, perhaps a mythical Japanese fox-spirit called kitsune. Their intelligence and shape-shifting ability renders them an ambiguous omen: perhaps as shapeshifting tricksters,…

This dramatic still life is created using bold brush strokes and skillful blending, combined with high-contrast lighting. Two vases—one of gladiolus, the other filled with yellow roses—sit upon a small table near a brick wall and arched window. A…

The objects in this still life are candidly imperfect: all the bananas have spots; the apples are mottled or appear to have bruises. Still, their colors are vibrant and the table is replete. More of Kallem’s attention has been devoted to…

We see at close range a female of Odocoileus virginianus, also known as white-tailed deer. Their range encompasses most of the United States, and they are the most numerous of that family here. Karlan’s painting depends less upon its anatomical…

At least a third of this painting is dominated by a harbor, whose representation of waves resemble the letter "U" and whose boats are the simplest of icons. To characterize the scene as childlike, however, overlooks the skillful pattern-making…

A vase of flowers is built upon four colors—yellow, orange, green, and blue—along with well-chosen accents and whites. De-differentiating marigolds into puffs of color is complemented by Kerrwood’s flattened space; slight variations of texture on the…