LONDON.- Colnaghi announces an exhibition dedicated to still lifes, consisting of selected Old Master paintings alongside the photographs of contemporary American artist Paulette Tavormina. Coinciding with The RHS Chelsea Flower Show (23 to 27 May), the exhibition is the first to show her contemporary photographs alongside Old Master paintings, and includes new works, as well as a selection featured in the artist’s recently published monograph (Paulette Tavormina: Seizing Beauty, The Monacelli Press, 2016.

The exhibition will include 15 Old Masters and 15 photographs, including paintings by renowned artists including Luis Edigio Meléndez (1716-1780), Juan van der Hamen y León (1596-1631), Giacomo Ceruti (1698-1767) and Bartolomeo Cavarozzi (1587-1625. It will be on view at Colnaghi in St. James’s, London, from 23 May to 23 June 2017.

Jorge Coll, CEO of Colnaghi: “We are delighted to be working with Paulette for this exhibition; she is a widely admired artist whose work is held in museum, corporate and private collections, and who was recently awarded the Pollock-Krasner Foundation grant in 2016. Still lifes are perhaps the most timeless of pictures, so it has been a fascinating process selecting Old Master paintings and photographs for the exhibition alongside such an insightful contemporary still life artist.”

Paulette Tavormina: “Beyond the beauty, I want the viewer to see as I see, to feel as I feel when a leaf balances just-so, pointing the eye to the next little narrative that is part of the larger work. This beauty around us is fleeting, and yet can be forever embedded in a perfect moment that is a photograph. Creating these heartfelt vignettes allows me an avenue to explore the intimate instances of my life, to tell stories of love and loss, of joy and sorrow, all while feeling grateful for the rich abundance of life, then seizing and sharing that beauty.

It is a dream come true to be exhibiting at Colnaghi with its rich and revered history. It’s truly an honor to have my photographs featured alongside selections from the gallery’s quintessential Old Master paintings. This show is the culmination of shared passion and immense dedication; a uniquely collaborative experience in which I was fortunate and grateful to work closely with the curators and their associates whose collective vision is reflected in this exhibition.

Featured are photographs from several of my series over the last eight years including newer images such as the Orchard Pears, 2016 and Zebra Finches and Tulips, 2017. I had always hoped my photographs would affect someone as deeply as the Old Master paintings have affected me. To have the works in conversation is the realization of my greatest artistic aspiration. Art is a continuum; the past and present are timeless, woven together with gossamer threads. When captured in a photograph or a painting, still life gives immortality to a single moment in all its beauty and fragility.”