Academia Nature Morte
The photographic series and appropriations of already made, constructed and composed still lifes "was a surprisingly strong flashback to my previous personal experience within an academic art environment. Educated as a traditional artist in a strong academic manner, for long I have been experiencing the power of drawing and painting of still lifes. It was a substantially strong tradition in academia and I experienced it from my young days at art schools, art college and art academy." - comments artist Das Vegas / Simbelis.
This documentation series was taken during the artist's doctorate studies at Vilnius Academy of Art, Lithuania, in the period of 2007-2009. These are still lives constructed by professors in the painting department. It is a representation of this institution through the educational principles preserving its historical heritage and through the practice of still life - a work of art depicting inanimate subject matter. The title (Academic Still Life) of the project is metaphorical and could be paraphrased into Stagnated Academic Life.
Academia Nature Morte / Academic Still Life, photography series printed on archival paper, 2007-2009. Each photograph is accompanied by a student's study painting of the same still-life.
More: on the institutional critique projects and academic work in Art Academy. Academia Nature Morte is part of the larger V.D.A. project and research conducted at Vilnius Art Academy.
