By Suzanne Révy
The still life genre, frequently referred to as a “momemto mori” has been a staple in art since ancient times. The literal translation from Latin admonishes “remember, you must die,” thereby urging us to embrace life, to assign meaning in the details and to cherish our memories. The art form flourished in 17th century Holland, when urbanization led to an emphasis on hearth and home. Painters such as Jan Steen, Gerrit Honthorst and Pieter deHooch turned their attention to the domestic sphere both in still life and in portraiture. Inspired by Dutch genre painting, particularly the work of Johannes Vermeer, photographer Becky Behar explores her family’s legacy in a series of still lifes and portraits in her solo exhibit “Seeing You Seeing Me” on view at the Concord Free Public Library in Concord, MA through June 29th, 2022. NOTE: There will be an in-person reception with the artist tomorrow, Thursday, June 9th, 2022 from 6:00 – 7:30 pm.
In this collaborative project with her daughter, Behar crafts scenarios in her studio employing personal artifacts on tabletops that are bathed in soft window light. When her daughter steps into a frame, draped in her mother’s clothes and cradling one of the objects, she injects a deep psychological element into these domestic scenes. The result is a series of images that pay homage to the Dutch masters while conveying a personal narrative that reveres familial bonds and generational history. Behar asks, what will a vase, a decorative bowl or a rich tapestry mean to subsequent generations? And though death may be inevitable, might an heirloom carry the real and intangible imprints of its ancestral stewards?
A trusting dynamic between mother and daughter is evident in Behar’s portraits. Witnessing a child grow and mature as she tries on new selves can be fraught for mothers, but the photographer has found a unique way for her daughter to rehearse adulthood. Clad in rich textiles, the camaraderie and exploration shared by both is lovingly apparent. I found one classic portrait, “Grace,” especially affecting: darkly illuminated by a serene sense of Rembrandt light, with delicate heirloom pearls draped across her youthful collarbone, Behar looks deeply into the eyes of her daughter. In Seeing You Seeing Me, we can sense the past, present and future as Behar reveals the essence of her lineage.
(Feature Image) “Grace” by Becky Behar , 2018, from the series Seeing You Seeing Me courtesy of the artist.
For hours and directions to the Concord Free Public Library: https://concordlibrary.org/news-events/exhibits