The Shape of Things questions the idea that still life is a lesser genre, showing how important it is to artists and society. Featuring a ‘Who’s Who’ of Modern and Contemporary British artists, the exhibition digs into still life’s rich symbolism and how it’s pushed boundaries and new ideas.
The exhibition shifts from 17th-century ‘vanitas’ paintings to post-impressionism to abstraction and from pop to conceptual art. It invites viewers to think about life’s challenges, such as love and grief, identity and the subconscious, life and death and plenty and waste. Today, these challenges also include biodiversity loss, the legacy of colonialism, and climate change.
Mat Collishaw joins a number of artists in an exhibition inspired by the work of visionary director, Stanley Kubrick. Participating artists have been invited to respond to a film, scene, character or theme from the Kubrick archives, shining new perspectives onto the cinematic master’s lifework. Mat responded to Kubrick’s 1968 sci-fi masterpiece, 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Visit Somerset House’s website here for more information.