Vera Mercer

VERA MERCER was part of the Parisian artist avant-garde in the early 60s. She not only documented the work and works of Jean Tinguely, Eva Aeppli, Marcel Duchamp, Niki de Saint-Phalle and Daniel Spoerri (her first husband), but also took portraits of the artists. Parallel to these portraits, she also photographed the old Paris market halls shortly before their demolition. Here she first encountered a subject that has occupied her ever since: Fruits, vegetables, meat and fish in its rawest and freshest form. Sensually and aesthetically, Vera Mercer combines edible crabs, fish loaves, game and poultry with flowers and fresh vegetables. With their candles burning down and elaborate arrangements, the paintings, bathed in mystical light, represent a new interpretation of classic vanitas motifs. Her still lifes, some of which are large-scale, captivate their viewers with their opulence and rich colors, conveying a love of life as well as transience. A visual and artistic delight, especially also due to the high-quality watercolor paper she uses, which gives the works a velvety surface.