Still Life

Year:	2004
Location:	Makkum
Designer:	Studio Job
Client:	Koninklijke Tichelaar B.V.
Project type:	art & design
Product:	glazed earthenware

Job Smeets and Nynke Tynagel, who operate under the name of Studio Job, were approached with the request to reappraise traditional designs in our collection. For the Still Life series they chose five objects, each one a much-respected item in Dutch ornamental earthenware history: the clock, the vase, the box, the sconce and the piggy-bank. The latter item underwent a true metamorphosis, ending up as a squirrel. Is this a reference to the animal’s thriftiness, and perhaps also to proverbial Dutch frugality?

Three versions of Still Life were made, one white, one with the accent on the transfer technique and one completely hand-painted. The images originate in the imaginary world of Studio Job and the hand-painted decoration is applied to the articles in a fluent style so that varying degrees of transparency and tone can be seen.