Auricula - Mary Fedden

A 1998 still life by Mary Fedden, featuring an auricula, a pear, and garlic rendered in her signature graphic, flattened style.

Mary Fedden, a prominent figure in twentieth-century British art, produced this still life in 1998. The composition demonstrates her characteristic approach to domestic subjects, where everyday objects are arranged with a sense of quiet order. The work features a potted auricula, a pear, and a bulb of garlic, set against a structured background that balances flat planes of colour with subtle textural elements. Fedden often employed gouache to achieve her distinctively matte, opaque surfaces. In this piece, the yellow petals of the auricula provide a sharp contrast to the dark, rectangular ground upon which the objects rest. The artist uses a simplified, almost graphic language to define the forms, stripping away unnecessary detail to focus on the essential shape and weight of each item. The background incorporates a chevron pattern at the top and horizontal bands at the base, which frame the central subjects and prevent the image from receding into traditional perspective. This flattening of space is a hallmark of her practice, reflecting an interest in the decorative potential of the picture plane. Her work is frequently noted for its accessibility and charm, yet it remains grounded in a rigorous understanding of composition. By placing the organic, irregular shapes of the plant and produce against the rigid geometry of the background, Fedden creates a visual tension that keeps the viewer engaged. The palette is restrained, relying on earthy tones and stark black and white to anchor the composition. This print captures the original work's tactile quality, preserving the interplay between the artist's deliberate brushwork and the paper surface. It is a representative example of her later career, during which she continued to refine her unique visual vocabulary through the observation of simple, familiar things.