The Art of Finding Beauty in the Mundane

Beauty PhotographyStill Life PhotographyStill Life Beauty Photography

3 Sept

Still life of Kangaroo paw, by Katriena Emmanuel

This is about the artform of finding beauty in the most surprising of places and transforming them into art, celebrating the features that add to their beauty.

Artists are often described as visionaries, as they see beyond what’s actually there; they perceive it before it even exists. Artists are constantly held in this tension of the pursuit of beauty and nothingness. They are the moth, and beauty is the flame, obsessively drawing them into the fires of creation, sadly sometimes to their own detriment.

They teeter on the cusp of life and death, often dancing with both at times. For that reason, they are able to find beauty even in the most ordinary of places. A skilled artist has the ability to merge the beauty of Nature with that of an inanimate, mundane object. They speak the language of symbols.

For instance, a lipstick wand and a Kangaroo Paw flower (Anigozanthos manglesii - an indigenous Australian plant), celebrating their similarities rather than their differences. Just as great design seamlessly combines beauty and utilitarianism.

Still life of Maybelline Vinyl Ink Lipstick Wand with Kangaroo Paw, conceptualised and photographed by Katriena Emmanuel

Perhaps this is the purpose of life, in the practicality of doing what needs to be done, but with the flare and attention to detail, care and grace, as if tending to a luscious garden. The garden is the metaphor for our life.

I often see more similarities than differences among things. I think this alludes to the interconnectivity of everything that exists, organic or manmade. For example, the following images were inspired by my love for Kangaroo Paw, it’s probably one of my favourite Australian wildflowers, together with flannel flowers, for it’s textural interest. I somehow correlated one day, the similarities with the fuzzy texture of the Kangaroo Paw with a liquid lipstick wand. I was certain I could photograph both of them together to create some visual interest, playing on the idea of camouflaging the beauty product within Nature. Afterall, isn’t all great design and innovation inspired by the natural world around us? Nature is hands down, the greatest artist in my opinion and it continuously inspires me as an artist.