Polly Cruse aims to elevate the importance and status of the ornaments, gifts and memorabilia that personalise our private space. Her photographs depict objects from her collection of ephemera, which she composes into playful Still Life arrangements that display an unconventional beauty, narrative and humour.
Polly is quietly subversive in how she works. Her still lives frequently have elements that are finely balanced, broken or out of scale that keep her arrangements fresh, unexpected and surprisingly powerful.
Japanese Lady by Polly Cruse
Her work includes photography, sculpture and occasionally installation. She sometimes references the paintings of Still Life masters like Henri Fantin-Latour.
She graduated with an MA in Fine Art from Norwich University of the Arts (NUA) 2004, she has shown her work regularly in the UK, as well as internationally in France and Italy. She has had solo exhibitions at Wembley Point in London, at Norwich Arts Centre and has featured in many well-received group shows in the East of England. She is a member of the Norwich 20 Group of artists.
Polly's photographic work has been featured in several publications about the Still Life genre, including ‘Still Lives; an Exhibition of Still Life Photography’ with introductory essay by K. Fijalkowski.
Collision by Polly Cruse
See more of Polly's work in our online shop
About the author
Paul Vater
PAUL VATER
Paul conducts studio visits to maintain strong relationships with artists, designers and craftspeople who show their work with us. He manages the main C&C website and has developed the online shop where selected works are presented for sale.
Paul established his design company, Sugarfree, in 1990 and quickly gained a reputation for delivering fresh, effective marketing campaigns and brand identities for clients including Save the Children Fund, United Nations Association and UNHCR. Over the years those added to the roster include IPC Magazines, Arts Council England, The Roundhouse, Barbican Centre, Arts Marketing Association, Look Ahead Housing and Care, Paddington Waterside, BBC Worldwide, Commonwealth Foundation, Prestel, City of London Corporation, Baker Street Quarter, Victoria BID and the University of East Anglia.