Shelf Still Life

Shelf Still Life (2018) is a signed lithograph by Jonas Wood featuring flat, poster-like images of vases, flower pots, and fruit bowls on wooden shelves. Sharing a strong visual affinity with the work of Henri Matisse, the print shows how simple artefacts of everyday life inspire the artist’s way of approaching colour, line, and dimensions. In particular, abstract shapes visible on some of the central objects bring to mind the French artist’s famous collages, including Acrobatic Dancer (1949) and Standing Blue Nude (1952). In this print, both objects and wooden surfaces that support them appear flattened-out, echoing a childlike way of approaching dimensions in drawing. Revealing the artist’s tender look on his surroundings, this way of representing still-life, landscapes, and interiors holds a consistent presence in Wood’s body of work.