“Plastic Boxes,” a still life artwork by Janet Fish, was created in 2007 and is exemplary of the Contemporary Realism art movement. This movement prioritizes the depiction of everyday objects in a realistic manner, often characterized by a meticulous attention to detail and an emphasis on light and color.
The artwork presents a vibrant assembly of objects arranged in a complex composition. At the forefront, there are several clear plastic boxes with a crystalline appearance, their surfaces reflecting and refracting light in a myriad of tones. These boxes, rendered with sharp angles and bright colors, evoke a sense of the tangible material quality of plastic. The translucency and reflective capabilities of the material are masterfully captured, creating a visual interplay between the boxes, the space they occupy, and the objects around them.
Distributed among the plastic boxes is a collection of glassware, including a vase holding a sumptuous bouquet of orange and purple flowers. The glass of the vase, like the plastic, interacts with the light, creating a dynamic range of hues and intensifying the color palette of the composition. The intricate pattern of the tablecloth beneath the display further adds to the visual complexity of the scene, with its detailed and colorful textile pattern complementing the arrangement atop it.
Beyond these immediate subjects, the background introduces additional elements with floral motifs, contributing to the lush atmosphere of the scene. The overall effect is one of abundance and sensory delight, encouraging the viewer to appreciate the beauty in the quotidian and to contemplate the interplay of color, light, and form in the objects that surround us.
