Pommes et oranges

36 Post Truth Photographs

Media: photography

Number of images: 2
(1 photograph; 1 text)

Print size: 16x20 inches

Execution: 2019

Preface

There is a roll of 35mm black and white film with 36 exposures that has not yet been developed. The exposures consist of a tableaux of apples, oranges, earthenware pottery and cloth draped over furniture.


We are inside a room that we cannot quite measure or estimate the dimensions of width, length, depth or height. In this room there appears to be a covered table but perhaps it's not a table at all, but a settle used for sitting. For clarity, I will try and describe it as a table as most of the items represented belong on a table. This table almost fills our complete viewing frame, but it is hidden by drapery, hence the exact difficulty knowing if this hidden piece of furniture is used for sitting or for dining. On the table top (horizontal plane), there appears to be a board (vertical plane) on it's side angled back creating a sloping effect that meets down to the table top (perhaps it's a leaf of the table leaning up against a wall). A cloth with a floral pattern is thrown over the horizontal and vertical planes. The floral pattern is green and dark green with a white background. It is almost a geometric pattern that almost looks like leaves. The floral cloth takes up maybe one third of the upper part of the viewing frame, but there is a portion of the horizontal plane that is not covered showing a wooden edge running perpendicular to the horizontal plane with one vertical leg exposed. This is why we know it's a piece of furniture: by the lack of cover. This small element tells us that the furniture is plain, inexpensive, perhaps made from pine or oak in a country style as it lacks the lacquer and polish of furniture made in a town or city. On top of this floral cloth is another one that is white. The white cloth only partially covers the floral one and only on the section that is the horizontal plane. The white cloth is rumpled in several places and it is also hanging over the wooden edge. In fact, it looks like there are two rumpled white cloths, one on top of the other, but the one on top is smaller. Situated on top of these white cloths are from left to right: a plate with 7-8 apples (from the angle of view it is unclear if all are on the plate): one is yellow, the rest are green brown. Behind the plate are 5-6 loose apples. They seem out of place and are somewhat hidden in the dark areas and want to merge with the floral pattern but can’t due to their circular shapes. To the right of these loose apples, centered in the top 1/3 of the frame (if it is invisibly split into horizontal thirds) is a white compotier that holds 7 oranges elevated above all the other fruit. The oranges must be special to be above and apart from the apples. (Louis the XIV loved oranges and built the Orangeries at the Palace of Versailles. His trees were grown in containers and would be moved in and out of these glass houses with the changing seasons). Below the compotier, in the center of our viewing frame is a single apple, red with a yellowish spot on top near the stem which is leaning and facing towards us. It is placed alone from all the other items and anchors our focus. To the right of the white compotier holding the oranges is an earthenware jug. The jug is covered with a brown, green floral pattern over a white background with the handle facing right the crenelated spout facing the compotier. In front and below the jug is another grouping of apples this time there are 5 going from left to right, orange red to red to light green and yellow green.

Pommes et oranges - 36 Post Truth Photographs after Cézanne

Pommes et oranges
36 Post Truth Photographs (after Cézanne)