Nick Shepard: De bekende wereld

The other week, my Baroque art history professor Rachel Miller had invited CSUS art faculty member and fine art photographer Nick Shepard to discuss his work with us as we  are learning about Dutch still life art in class. During his lecture, he had discussed his works that were part of a series he refers to as "De bekende wereld" which "explores the contemporary world through the lens of master painting." Much of his work was representative of Dutch still life, which Shepard has encountered first hand while studying abroad in the Netherlands while in college.

(Above) Nick Shepard Made in China (2010)

Shepard's work explores the notion of "making the familiar strange" and takes on a combination of different elements. While studying abroad in Europe, he traveled to the Netherlands where he encountered works by Jan van der Velde and Rembrandt, which had really made an impression on him. He was really fascinated with the idea of how during the Baroque era in the 17th century, Dutch still life was the "high fashion of the time" and wanted to explore how that could be related to our time now in the 21st century.

Nick Shepard Still Life with Real, Fake and Dyed Flowers (2010)

The above work is still life depicting different kinds of flowers. He was fascinated with the idea that in the Baroque era, artists weren't able to have a bouquet of random flowers like we are able to have today. In the 17th century it would often be difficult if not impossible to gather together different kinds of flowers, due to them being grown in regions that were far away and in different seasons. Nick described his work as an onion, and that the viewer needed to "peel back the layers" of the artwork in order to gain a greater understanding of his work. He also mentioned that it is okay to simply enjoy the piece, which I liked. He wants the work to be aesthetically pleasing and is able to achieve this with the lush colors and whimsicality of the objects that he chooses to photograph in his still life works. 

 

Nick Shepard Occident/Orient (Tea Time) (2014)