Artist’s Statement

The Dutch-Influenced Still Life Gallery – my primary work – contains still life photographs that are based on 17th century still life paintings. The Dutch in this era were making beautiful use of light and composition, borrowing in significant amount from Italian painters. I study the old Masters and hopefully replicate their attention to light, shadow and composition as I produce my works. I hand painted the backdrops for these photographs, duplicating colors commonly used in the 17th century. Period pieces are used in some of the photographs.

Of the still life artists I have studied, I particularly enjoy Pieter Claesz and Adriaen Coorte. Claesz has always held a prominent place in the still life genre, generally painting “breakfast” pieces with food and tableware. Coorte remained in near obscurity until the 1950s, when a museum curator discovered his work and began promoting it. Coorte is now known for his very simple compositions with one or two pieces of fruit, vegetables, or sea shells. I continue to lean on these two classic painters as my primary teachers.  I recently included Caravaggio in my detailed studies. His use of light and shadow was revolutionary in Renaissance painting, and was widely studied by the Dutch as they developed their style.

The photographs in the Contemporary Still Life Gallery are strongly influenced by the work with the Dutch artists. Though these venture away from a fairly strict rendition of the Dutch look, they retain the use of light and shadow, blending modern still life with an old-world look.

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Born and raised in Longview, Texas, Jimmy Salmon began pursuing photography as a serious amateur in 2008, attending workshops in lighting, camera technique and printing, and reading heavily on the subject.His primary interest is creating photographs with the look of classic paintings.  Within that context, his present portfolio concentrates on still life photography.

Mr. Salmon began entering photography and art competitions in 2010. He quickly began to win awards and was selected in several contests for exhibition alongside some nationally and internationally known photographers and artists.  Encouraged by these experiences, the artist is currently focused on producing photographs for competition as well as for personal enjoyment.