TITLE: Still-Life Studies

These minimalist still-life studies rely on chiaroscuro, simplicity, and contrast to expose something unique about each subject. The images show found objects, collected from around the house and yard. Some were shot in window light, others lit with speedlights, yet they all draw their subject out of the darkness to reveal it to the viewer’s gaze.

For the most part, these images are studies of the singular, and focus on a single object, almost surgically removed from its familiar context. This brings every tiny detail and facet into sharp relief, whether that’s a filigree pattern on a leaf, or the smooth hardness of a ceramic jug. The subject of the photograph thus defines itself, rather than being defined by its usual setting.

With my work, I like to prompt viewers to slow down for a moment, and think about their experience as they look at a photograph. For me, art is not about an end product or process, but a state of being instead—it’s about what we feel when we come to grips with a particular work, whether as consumers or creators.

AUTHOR: Robert Claus (United States)

An emerging photographer with a background in translation and music,
Robert Claus has been exploring drawing, composition, and theater since an
early age. Born in Germany, he relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area after
graduating from the University of London.
Attending a major retrospective of David Hockney in 2014 inspired him to
return to his childhood love of photography. A self-taught artist, he has since
studied under Gina Militia, and taken workshops and classes from Ed Kashi,
Neal Menschel (both at Stanford), and Joel Grimes (remote).
He tends to draw on still life for his subjects, but has also ventured into
portraiture and landscapes. Now looking to gain wider exposure, he has
produced several book-length curated projects that range from theater work
to abstract still-life composition.