Jess Gibson
University of Tasmania
Whether its art or design, function or form, most ideas and things manifest from some kind of concept which often then informs the process- or the process and objective informs the concept.
Reflecting on the idea of process when looking at Kelly Austins work it is clear that Still Life is a concept that is studied and her predecents such as Giorgio Morandi & Gywn Pigott inspire Austins work.
Looking further back to Vanitas and more traditional concepts of Still Life it is almost a question of time an decay - fruit, skulls and texture somewhat capturing a moment in comparison to Austin and Morandi where they objects appear haphazardly placed together but its clear that there is much thought and curation put into the composition and colour palette - something that is shared with Vanitas but the permanency of Kelly Austins work conflicts with the traditional process of Still Life.
What Austin seems to share with so many artists eg Edmund De Waal, that it is beyond the vessel and the notion of it even being a ceramic piece there is much more depth and process to the work.