New York photographer Paulette Tavormina has recently released a new book, Seizing Beauty published by Monicelli Press. Every page is filled with lush, dense, yet elegant still-life compositions of fruit, vegetables, florals, botanicals, insects and butterflies. The settings are at turns dark with memento mori then switch to a lighter romantically seductive mood enhanced with candles, shells and assorted memorabilia.
I love still-life portraits and so was immediately captivated by Tavormina's considerable artistic flair. Looking at the photos it's apparent that Tavormina creates these vivid images with inspiration drawn from the classical styles of the sixteenth and seventeenth century Dutch, Flemish, Italian and Spanish still-life paintings by old Masters such as, Adriaen Coorte, Pieter Claesz, Caravaggio, Giovanna Garçon, Luis Menendez and Jacob van Hulsdonck.
The Style Saloniste blog where I came across Seizing Beauty captures the artistic sensibility of the photographs perfectly..."Noting the resonance of her Italian heritage, Taormina creates an intense sense of the fullness of seasons and time passing. The canvases that inspire her and her photography burst with life and flavor and heavenly sensuality."
Style Saloniste link to article...