Amber Creswell Bell is an art curator, an author of books on the arts, a lifestyle writer, a speaker, and an enthusiastic creative hustler. With a passion for art, Amber champions emerging and unrepresented artists and ceramicists, curating popular exhibitions both independently and in collaboration with well-established commercial galleries. Amber’s first book, Clay, published by Thames & Hudson, released October 2016, showcases over 50 contemporary ceramic artisans from Australia and abroad. Her second book, A Painted Landscape, released in October 2018, profiles the diverse work of 50 of Australia’s landscape painters. 2021 has seen the release of Amber’s monograph on artist Ken Done: Art Design Life, and Still Life – a compilation of Australian still life painters, also published by Thames & Hudson.
Today, Amber Creswell Bell is on the blog to answer a few of our questions about Still Life. Read on!
Please tell us about your book, Still Life!
ACB: This book takes a deep dive into the Still Life genre via a rich survey of the work of more than forty still-life artists, which presents the genre in a uniquely Australian light.
Where did the inspiration for this book come from?
ACB: As an art curator, I am well known for presenting exhibitions featuring predominantly still life and landscape artist, and ceramics. Having written Clay and A Painted Landscape, Still Life nicely rounds out the genre ‘trilogy’ of all my curatorial loves. Still life exhibitions continue to get such an enthusiastic response from audiences – I felt a book such as this was well overdue!
What is it that you love so much about contemporary Australian art?
ACB: Art reflects back to us the society and environment that we live in, refracted through the minds and imaginations of a multitude of different artists. I find this so fascinating from a social, historical, and anthropological perspective. And obviously, the mode in which artists express themselves is just so utterly visually beautiful. Looking at art makes my heart palpitate with joy – and I hope that my books help connect audiences connect with these Australian artists and their work.
What do you think distinguishes the contemporary still life from the more traditional work of the past?
ACB: I think that people will often associate traditional still life with bowls of fruit, and vases of flowers. But what this book does is beautifully demonstrates how the genre has evolved in the contemporary context. Yes, there are still fruit and flowers – but also foil balloons, beer cans and goon bags. These inclusions provide a fascinating commentary on the time that we now live in.
Shortest Day, Longest Night by Elizabeth Barnett
You’ve dedicated a large part of your career to championing the work of emerging local artists. What kind of future do you see for this new generation of artists within the wider arts culture of Australia?
ACB: The whole art world is becoming increasingly de-centralised. No longer are commercial galleries the gatekeepers to artists and their careers. As a result of the digital universe, and platforms such as Instagram, artists are increasingly able to evolve and sell their work under their own steam. I think this is an exciting time to see art practices challenge the status quo.
Where did your interest in and love for art come from?
ACB: I think I was perhaps born loving art!
What is the last book you read and loved?
ACB: Two please! Meg Mason’s Sorrow and Bliss, and Rachel Cusk’s Second Place.
What do you hope readers will discover in Still Life?
ACB: I hope readers will love learning the beautiful backstories of these artists. It adds so much perspective to their work when you know a little more context.
And finally, what’s up next for you?
ACB: I reckon a couple more books might be on the way 😉
Thanks Amber!
—Still Life by Amber Creswell Bell (Thames & Hudson Australia) is out now.
Still Life
Contemporary Australian Painters
Still Life explores the diverse practices of more than forty contemporary Australian artists and documents a repertoire of styles, subjects, visions and philosophies.
Alongside flowers and food – mainstays of the genre – the works within these pages also incorporate objects such as books and beer cans, birds and balloons, adding energy and intrigue to both the composition and the story revealed. This book captures the inanimate beauty of the everyday in...
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