NOTES
This still life by St. Louis artist Miriam McKinnie draws upon Cubism in its intriguing play between outline and tone, flatness and depth, and object and abstraction. The trapezoid shapes in the background, subtle shading on the apple, and foreshortened base of the dish suggest the illusion of depth and mass. Conversely, the outlines of the flowers emphasize the flat surface of paper, and the reverse perspective of the tabletop causes it to seemingly spring toward us.
These techniques are part of McKinnie’s visual exploration of the tensions between having a three-dimensional subject—the apple, flowers, compote, and table—depicted on a two-dimensional sheet of paper.
