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Ein Werk von Vera Mercer
ARTISTS

Vera Mercer

The work of the American photographer VERA MERCER (born 1936 in Berlin, lives and works in Omaha and Paris) is hard to grasp.

It began in the 1960s in Paris with portraits of her then-husband Daniel Spoerri, who, like her, initially trained in dance, and other members of the Fluxus group and the Nouveaux Réalistes.

She not only documented the work and works of Jean Tinguely, Eva Aeppli, Marcel Duchamp, Niki de Saint-Phalle, and Daniel Spoerri, 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.

In the 1970s, she took a long creative break. But since the beginning of the new century, she has been capturing stunning neo-baroque still lifes consisting of flowers, fruits, freshly killed animals, antique glasses and illuminating candles in large picture formats.

Sensual and aesthetic, Vera Mercer combines edible crabs, fish loaves, game and poultry with flowers and fresh vegetables. With their candles burning down and artful 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.

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AUFGETISCHT VERA MERCER / DANIEL SPOERRI, 2019, Künstlerhaus Marktoberdorf, Museum for Contemporary art, the curator Maya Heckelmann leads us through the exhibition

Works

Selected works by Vera Mercer
Werk: Red flowers

Red flowers

Werk: Crab and Cabbage

Crab and Cabbage

Werk: FISH in Light

FISH in Light

Werk: Lotusblüte 2

Lotusblüte 2

Werk: Octopus und Amaryllis

Octopus und Amaryllis

Werk: Green

Green

Werk: Wild Turkey

Wild Turkey

Werk: Fishhead

Fishhead

Werk: Octopus

Octopus

Werk: Single Lotus

Single Lotus

Werk: Fish in a glass

Fish in a glass

Werk: Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol

Werk: Alexander Calder

Alexander Calder

Werk: Lotusblüte

Lotusblüte

Werk: Calla Lillies

Calla Lillies

Werk: Peaches and Apples and Cheese

Peaches and Apples and Cheese

Werk: Flowering branches

Flowering branches

Werk: Peaches and Apples

Peaches and Apples

Werk: All ducks

All ducks

Werk: Banana stillife

Banana stillife

Werk: Mushrooms

Mushrooms

Werk: Lotusblume

Lotusblume

Werk: Hanging together five

Hanging together five

Werk: Pheasant and Mirror

Pheasant and Mirror

Werk: Pig`s head

Pig`s head

Werk: Spider crab

Spider crab

Werk: Four deer heads

Four deer heads

Werk: Crab

Crab

Werk: Double

Double

Werk: Green leaves

Green leaves

Werk: Orchid and Grapes

Orchid and Grapes

Installation Views

Get inspired
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