Photo courtesy of the artist and Robert Klein Gallery, Boston
Peonies, 2009.
Photo courtesy of the artist and Robert Klein Gallery, Boston
Flowers, After P.B., 2009
Peer into one of the sensuous photographs by Paulette Tavormina and you almost could be stepping back in time—indeed, into a 17th-century Dutch flower painting. Tavormina’s work captures the essence of the Old Masters, and just as their paintings did centuries ago, her images go deeper than the literal and speak to universal themes that are just as relevant today: the fragility of life and love, fleeting beauty, and a particular moment.
Dutch still-life painters often inserted a skull or decaying fruit in their paintings to symbolize mortality—sometimes not-so-subtle reminders that nothing lasts forever. The genre became known as Natura Morta, or “dead nature.” Tavormina uses symbolism to take her viewers beyond the beauty of the subject and to tell a story of shared human emotions.
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Photo courtesy of the artist and Robert Klein Gallery, Boston
Peaches and Morning Glories, After G.G., 2010. Paulette Tavormina’s photographs often suggest a cycle of life. A withered blossom, as well as those that appear freshly picked, tucks into luscious fruit also in various stages, including an opened peach and a peach pit on the table.
Photo courtesy of the artist and Robert Klein Gallery, Boston
Flowers and Butterfly, After G.V.S., 2012
Photo courtesy of the artist and Robert Klein Gallery, Boston
Botanical VII (Tulips), 2014
Photo courtesy of the artist and Robert Klein Gallery, Boston
Fruit and Roses, After I.S., 2010
Photo courtesy of the artist and Robert Klein Gallery, Boston
Quince, After G.G., 2008
Photo courtesy of the artist and Robert Klein Gallery, Boston
Roses and Figs, 2013
Photo courtesy of the artist and Robert Klein Gallery, Boston
Flowers and Fish IV, After G.V.S., 2012, from the artist’s Flowers, Fish, & Fantasies series
“I grew up surrounded by peonies. Mother loved old-fashioned flowers. When I’m shooting, I often feel like I am going back to my mother’s garden.”—Paulette Tavormina
