Charles Traub's In the Still Life is a photographic narrative on the human condition in the late 20th Century. Pictures taken "on the fly" in the course of twenty years of encounters with the human comedy compose this witty and anecdotal scenario.
Luigi Ballerini in his introduction points out that Traub is always questioning whether God is playing dice with the universe. Things happen, people collide and improbable juxtapositions are snapped at a fraction of a second. Traub is quite sure that his encounters with the absurdities of our everyday lives, whether in Tokyo or Rio, New York or Tel Aviv are far more interesting than anything that might be contrived before the camera's lens.
The snapshots that make up this provocative book were taken "on the fly," the by-product of twenty years of Charles Traub's exotic travel and busy life. They were left in a plastic box for years. Recently Traub's new interest in still life painting turned his attention back to the saved images which themselves were still lifes, using the frame to bar from the image any temptation that might jeopardize pictorial excitement. Things happen, people collide and improbably juxtapositions are snapped at a fraction of a second. Traub is quire sure that his encounters with the absurdities of our everyday lives, whether in Tokyo or Rio, New York or Tel Aviv are far more interesting than anything that might be contrived for the camera's lens. Here they are "still lives", frozen moments on the street, often in poignant or ironic pairs that comment on each other and broaden the moments in our minds. 110 color photographs.
