Joyce Tenneson (American, b. 1945)
Untitled (From “Still Life”), 1995-2000
Color instant print (Polaroid)
29.875 x 22 in
Joyce Tenneson’s series “Still Life” is very simple: still life objects, but planted in an ethereal world. The bust of a man, now robed in linen, looks other-worldly, heaven-like. One can’t tell how Tenneson got the bust to be captured, as it looks like it is floating, weightless, in space. Tenneson is a photographer who works primarily in polaroid, with this one being giant at 29.875×22 in. The polaroid proves an interesting medium. The exposed corners and exposure add to the ethereal quality. Instead of looking like a polished photograph, the whole composition looks as though you are getting a chance to glimpse another world.
Joyce Tenneson is known as one of the greatest photographers of recent decades. Her works are often featured in major publications like Life Magazine, The New York Times, and Time, and she has also recently been inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame. Untitled (From “Still Life”) marks a departure for Tenneson, who is well known for her nude portraits of women. The Van Every/Smith Art Galleries have also received several of these pieces, from her “Photographs of Women” series.
Overall, Tenneson seems to have a strong style that envelopes all of her works. No matter the subject- human or bust, the figures appear dream-like and hazy. In a sense, they make the viewer seem as though they are not supposed to be there, to glimpse into this other world.
– Sarah Willoughby ’25
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