THE BEAUTY OF ILLUSIVE STILL LIFES NOW

KLAUS ENRIQUE GERDES

Our faces are, in some ways, illusions. While they do reflect who we are, on some levels, and within some limitations, of course they don’t tell the whole truth.

Photographer Klaus Enrique Gerdes creates illusions of personae by first constructing sculptures made of fruits, vegetables, leaves, and flowers, then photographing his perishable creations. Some of these portraits are made out of food waste.

Gerdes was heavily Inspired by Italian Renaissance artists such Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Francesco Urbini, Pietro Aretino, Leonardo da Vinci, and Hieronymus Bosch, who often painted portraits composed of a medley of non-human elements.

Salvador Dali’s “Portrait of Frau Isabel Styler-Tas” is an homage to Arcimboldo’s “Winter.” Furthering this path, Gerdes also endeavored to recreate several of Arcimboldo’s illusory works. Gerdes also creates portraits of famous figures, such as Mahatma Ghandi and like Darth Vader. 

Each of Gerdes’ sculptures takes about 3 days to make. Beyond the sheer creativity and cleverness, these illusions get us with their surprisingly detail, with every feature finely rendered with edible and decorative organic bits and pieces. 

The sculptures must be photographed the same day they are completed, while the components are still fresh. Photography freezes the illusions before they begin to decay.

Read more about Beautiful Illusions, as it relates to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact including 10 Films Featuring The Beauty of Illusions Now and These Rainbow Places Are Not Beautiful Illusions See Them Now.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by Klaus Enrique Gerdes. Gwen.
2. Image: by Klaus Enrique Gerdes. Primavera.
3. Image: by Klaus Enrique Gerdes. Vertumnus.
4. Image: by Klaus Enrique Gerdes. LHOOQ.
5. Image: by Klaus Enrique Gerdes. Autumn.
6. Image: by Klaus Enrique Gerdes. Flora.
7. Left Image: by Klaus Enrique Gerdes. Right Image: by Giuseppe Archimboldo.
8. Image: by Klaus Enrique Gerdes. Winter.
9. Image: by BN App - Download now!
10. Image: by Klaus Enrique Gerdes. Diana.