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Some might be inclined to think that a "still life," in California terms, is more likely to refer to the
sluggish morning commute than to anything one would find hanging in a museum here. But the
traditional genre of still lifes has actually found something of a new life in the Golden State. In fact,
in the hands of California artists, the still life has taken on a unique aspect over the years, as evidenced
by the name of a new exhibit opening Nov. 22 at the San Jose Museum of Art: The Not-So-Still-Life:
A Century of California Painting and Sculpture.
The exhibit reflects not only a changing vision of life in California during the past 100 years, but also an
evolving perspective on the art form itself, with "still life" growing to encompass three-dimensional works
as well as the more traditional forms of paintings and photographs. And lest anyone fear that still lifes are all about expired pheasants and bowls of fruit, the subject matter featured in the exhibit is infinitely diverse, from
the more conventional vase of flowers to a towering ceramic sandwich sculpture.
It's no mean feat to take on an entire century of art, even if it's whittled down to exploring a single genre
in a given region. Three curators worked on creating The Not-So-Still-Life, with each person focusing on a
specific time period. Dr. Susan Landauer, the chief curator of the San Jose Museum of Art, curated the works
dating from 1950 to 2000, and independent scholars Dr. William Gerdts and Dr. Patricia Trenton curated the
eras of 19001930 and 19301950, respectively.
The museum celebrates the opening of this major exhibit with a special opening-night party on Nov. 21,
with music by local jazz prodigy Taylor Eigsti and his trio.
"The Not-So-Still Life: A Century of California Painting and Sculpture" runs Nov. 22Feb. 15 at the
San Jose Museum of Art, 110 S. Market St., San Jose. Opening-night party, Nov. 21, 7 p.m.10 p.m.
For more information, call 408.271.6840 or visit www.sjmusart.org.
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