ARTIST OF THE MONTH
apturing images of our food is nothing new. The 17th-century German, Flemish and Dutch artists were masters at it; only they didn’t call it Instagramming, but still life. Now. Smudging the line between collage, photography and painting, she uses reproductions of the Old Master’s paintings as her canvas. On top she places assorted objects, photographs the result–and then a surprise touch: Matisse shapes painted in 24-carat gilded gold leaf are arranged on the image, a shimmering reminder that, unlike the subject, art is never still. In fact the whole series is an expression of an artist in evolution. It’s quite a departure from Emma’s floral portraits, such as , presented at the Royal Academy 2016 Summer Show in London. Or so it seems. But then you realise that her ‘new style’ is also a kind of layering; she’s using the same elements that have always absorbed her, but she is still creating floral compositions. It’s still the language of flowers, just a different accent.
