Joel Penkman loves food and also loves painting so combining the two seemed like a good idea. His compositions are simple still-life studies with clean backgrounds to make it easier for individuals to make a connection. His images are clean and simple. Food can trigger memories and emotions and he likes that people can bring something of themselves to their artworks.
Joel’s favourite thing to work with is medium tempera which is very time consuming as he has to prepare his boards and mix his own paint but the results are worth it. Penkman was born in 1979 in New Zealand where he grew up and after finishing his degree in graphic design at Canterbury University’s School of Fine Art, he moved to the UK. He has worked as a graphic designer and most recently a freelance designer and artist. He aims to make his pictures make people smile. |
BAKEWELL TART.
This photo, taken by Joel Penkman, has a simple, white background so the main focus is put onto the Bakewell Tart in the foreground. This photo has little depth which can be seen because it was taken from above. However, a shadow can be seen on the right of the tart which makes me think that the light source was shone from the left. This follows Penkman's usual photographic style as it has a simple, white background, similar to the rest of his photographs, with one food related object in the foreground. |
DRUMSTICKS.
The simplicity of the photo, taken by Joel Penkman, makes the image much more effective. The viewer doesn't get lost in a complex photograph with many objects inside. Three Drumstick lollipops have been placed in a horizontal line. This photo has been taken from above and I know this because of the perspective of the photo. I was first attracted to this image because the photo is so clean and simple which makes it look very aesthetically pleasing, similar to many of Penkman's other photographs. |
DOUBLE LOLLIES.
This photo of two Double lollipops, taken by photographer Joel Penkman, is effective due to the positioning of the objects. The lollipops have been placed upside down which shows an unusual photographic perspective which makes the image much more interesting than if they were placed in a natural position, lying down. I was first attracted to this image because of its simplicity and depth of field. The back wall of the image shows a large depth to the photograph as you can see the space between the lollipops and the background. |
VINTAGE WATCH.
Joel Penkman specialises in food but he also produces artworks and photographs of a variety of watches. As you can see, the simple, white background makes the viewer focus on the main object, which in this case, is the vintage Patek Phillipe watch. The simplicity of the image is the key to its effectiveness. There is only one object in this image which makes it simple and not confusing to the person studying it. I was first attracted to this photo because of my love of watches and simplicity of the photo. |
GARLIC MEASUREMENT.
This photo, taken by Joel Penkman, consists of a small blade and a clove of garlic. This makes the image very interesting because the objects are very different and contrasting to each other. This is like Joel Penkman's usual style as it is very simple and effective. The plain, white background brings out the little colour in the image. With only two objects in this photo, it is not complex. |
JAM TARTS.
Joel Penkman's photo of Jam Tarts consists of 3 different coloured jam tarts in a horizontal line, similar to his Drumstick photograph. The plain, white background enhances the vivid colours of the Jam Tarts. This also helps them to stand out. I was first attracted to this photo because it is very aesthetically pleasing. |