For ‘Natures mortes’, Michael Cook turns to the art-historical tradition of still life; choreographed arrangements of plants, animals, objects and food filled with potent symbolism, convey a strong emotional current in their limited palette and inky darkness. From images of native animals served on platters and a heron holding an oil-soaked fish in its beak to wilted exotic flowers in vases or a moth-eaten British flag, Cook explores the impact of colonisation on Australia’s First Nations peoples, and the global repercussions of environmental degradation.

Michael Cook, Nature morte (Religion), 2021, inkjet print, 91 × 122cm or 122 × 172cm. Courtesy the artist and Andrew Baker Art Dealer, Queensland
Andrew Baker Art Dealer
17 March to 1 May 2021
Queensland