Self-taught Maryland-based photographer Aphra Adkins’ work is a witty sensory experience, and then some. Though her photographs are technically still life, it is fair to refer to them as “pop photography.” With its thematic elements of cultural commentary and the use of eye catching colors, her work goes much further than your average Dutch master fruit bowl.
When we think of pop art, Andy Warhol and Wayne Thiebaud come to mind, with their bright colored riffs on the mundane. It is this artistic expression also found in Adkins’ work that brings vibrancy and a fresh perspective on how we connect with everyday items that are part of our personal lives, and what these may symbolize.
There’s something alluring about Adkins’ work, because it touches on all of our senses to make us ponder its aesthetic—either like a smack in the face (in a good way) or with a delicate lingering touch. Some stills can be interpreted to have a deeper meaning beyond just an aha moment, while others spark something unexplainable, but something that makes you smile regardless of what comes to mind.
Adkins explains, “I usually start with a specific image in mind and try to work toward that, but also allow myself to be inspired in the moment. I follow through on all those little "what if" feelings - what if the milk spilled everywhere, what if the egg was blue instead, etc.”
Still life emerged during the 17th century in the form of paintings by the Dutch and Flemish, which later evolved as photographs in Europe in the 19th century. Today, notable still life school of art photographers include Ori Gersht, Laura Letinsky, and Margriet Smulders.
The beauty of still life photographs is that it allows you to consider every detail presented, as it was purposely staged to have a specific effect. Sure, still life can seem well, quiet, but in Adkins’ case it is the opposite of that. Her work is vibrant, has texture, movement, and it actually touches on an strong sensory response which then activates an emotional one. It is through this connection to the visual complexity that viewers can discern what each photograph represents for them personally.
Adkins is a natural behind the lens, and she explains how her visions come to life. “I am constantly learning as I go. There are definitely moments of frustration when I try something new, or can't quite get the shot, but it's also that much more satisfying when an image turns out just the way I'd imagined it.”
Some of her photographs connect with the viewers through a level of satire on individuality, which go beyond that typical pop art and still life components. A perfect vibrant egg yolk on a squeaky clean sponge representing the fragility of fertility, or a pastel fountain dripping milky liquid to observe the impossibility of the perseverance of physical youth through the passing of time. Because of the way she envisions her images, these more serious topics have a whimsical reaction from the viewer thanks to the way she presents them. Her images are full of vibrant colors, patterns, provocative visuals, perfection and chaos, where themes are pushed to the edge, figuratively and literally, but without ever going overboard.
Adkins’ work shows us a range of emotive responses that are delicately balanced. Light and dark, dangerous and safe, soft and hard; all aspects needed to achieve a sense of mastery within life and most importantly, within ourselves. “I hope [my work] encourages people to take risks, whether that be trying something new or embracing something they've been afraid to,” she remarks.
Through her photos, she in a way asks us to look at things from an uplifting perspective and simply find joy in the little things, which may seem mundane at first, but that make our personal lives more interesting. It is this notion that essentially keeps us on our toes, because it is in the curiosity that we learn more about ourselves and our surroundings.
All photos courtesy of the artist, and for more on her work please visit her page.
Today’s poem touches on the astute observations and whimsical tones found in Aphra’s work:
This Is Just To Say
I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast
Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold
