Eric Wert's flowers, fruits, and vegetables are the stuff of a florist's or farmer's perfection?objects of incomparable beauty, hyperrealistic, radiant, and arranged in a tumult that's filled with life. Within this bounty, the artist also recognizes the realities of the garden, forest, and field: snails, slugs, and ants; ladybugs, bees, and butterflies; leaves that decay, petals that fall, fruits that bruise, and vegetables that scar. These things come from the soil and, given time, there they will return with the rest of us. What remains beyond everything is the painting. Commentary on the wondrous nature of life and death, Wert's compositions also exist within the tradition of still life, taking cues from the great Dutch masters of still life painting. His backdrops?intricate tapestries rendered with historical accuracy?support each disheveled bouquet and overflowing centerpiece in form, color, and mood. More than 100 full-color reproductions.
