Elizabeth Geiger
Nicole Parker, Feeling Lucky, 18" Diameter; Tondo, Oil On Panel
Life, Still
Curated by Douglas Martenson
At first glance, Life, Still suggests the classical still life—carefully composed objects held in quiet contemplation. Yet, the title holds deeper layers of meaning, much like the paintings in this exhibition. It speaks to the act of pausing in stillness, engaging with the everyday, and reflecting on the persistence of life itself. Stillness does not mean stagnation; rather, it is a moment of attention, an embrace of presence, and a connection to what endures.
A recurring visual motif throughout the show is the circle—a form without beginning or end, symbolizing continuity, wholeness, and the cyclical nature of existence. In the works of Nicole Parker, Eileen Goodman, and Douglas Martenson, the circle appears both overtly and subtly, clinging to compositions and reinforcing a sense of movement within stillness. Martenson’s Two Pears and a Bowl nods to historical still life traditions while subtly disrupting them, just as Goodman’s and Parker’s works evoke memory and nostalgia with nuance—each artwork a question as to whether we are looking at a personal past or a broader reflection of time’s passage.
Throughout the exhibition, food—particularly fruit—emerges as a powerful visual thread, echoing themes of abundance, decay, and ephemerality. The paintings invite us to consider how food, often depicted in still life, is never truly "still." It ripens, withers, is consumed, and replenished, paralleling life’s continuous flow. Ted Walsh’s Bowl of Eggs presents a moment of quiet simplicity—fragile, expectant, and hinting at its inevitable change. Carlos Russo’s meticulous technique references the still life traditions of the Dutch Golden Age and American painters like Raphaelle Peale and Paul Lacroix. Yet, Russo’s vivid light and striking color infuse classical realism with renewed vitality, underscoring how the tradition is not static but continually evolving, much like the subjects it seeks to capture.
Peter Van Dyck, Spice Shelf, 12" x 12", Oil On Canvas
Extending beyond food, the presence of dishes, bowls, and domestic objects in the exhibition deepens the connection between still life and home—each vessel a silent witness to daily rituals. Crafted with intricate care, Lee’s fiber-based receptacles push the boundaries of materiality, mirroring the delicate relationship between permanence and impermanence that runs throughout the show. Penelope Harris’ Party of Gourds captures a whimsical tabletop scene, where vibrant gourds, partially unwrapped, quietly suggest their inevitable rot amidst a backdrop of plenitude. Through playful composition and theatrical interactions, Harris guides the viewer’s gaze toward a distant cityscape, underscoring the faint but persistent transformations inherent even in life's most ordinary objects and moments.
Scott Noel and Peter Van Dyck play with perspective and point of engagement, challenging the viewer’s relationship to the scene. Van Dyck’s Spice Shelf shifts the focus from food itself to the anticipation of flavor, calling attention to the idea that still life is often about potential rather than presence. Noel’s deliberate cropping and use of negative space introduces quiet tension, prompting viewers to reconsider their spatial and emotional relationships to objects. In the same manner, Elizabeth Geiger reinvigorates the language of Cubism by fragmenting viewpoints and embracing the multiplicity of modern perception—much like how we navigate contemporary life through shifting perspectives.
Christine Lafuente, Cherries, Peonies and Tiny Daisies, 16" x 16", Oil On Linen
For Christine LaFuente, the still life becomes a vehicle for color experimentation and expressive paint handling, where objects emerge and dissolve within luminous layers of light. Similarly, Benjamin Passione’s vibrant still lifes elevate color as the primary expressive force, bridging representation with gestural mark-making. His Still Life with Blue and Still Life with Red distill everyday objects down to pure color and forms, allowing pigment itself to take precedence over the depicted subject.
In each of these works, still life is not merely about objects arranged in space—it is about what lingers, what shifts, and what endures. Life, Still reminds us that within stillness lies motion, within the ordinary lies depth, and within the fleeting lies something lasting.
Elizabeth Geiger, Still Life with Oil Lamp, 48" x 24", Oil On Linen
