New Special Exhibition "Elizabeth Joan Clarke - The Past and the Present" at the Roentgen Museum Neuwied Artist from Boppard interprets traditional genre with modern medium

District Administrator Achim Hallerbach and Museum Director Jennifer Stein will open the new special exhibition "Elizabeth Joan Clarke - The Past and the Present" at the Roentgen Museum Neuwied on Sunday, September 7, 2025, at 11:30 AM. The musical accompaniment of the exhibition opening will be provided by Yoël Cantori (cello).
The artist Elizabeth Joan Clarke (*1970 in Oxford, England) interprets the genre of classical still life using modern photography techniques. In her studio, she stages flower arrangements – some made with blooms from her own garden – glasses and bowls from the 18th and 19th centuries, and ripe fruits into complex compositions where nothing is left to chance. Every housefly, every drop of water is meticulously placed. The setup of such a still life can take up to a week before the artist photographs it only under the influence of daylight, which falls through her over one hundred years old atelier window. Clarke deliberately refrains from digital composition. This means that her still lifes stood exactly as they appear in the photographs on the table in her studio – butterflies, beetles, and birds are not digitally added afterward. Thus, photographs are created with a meditative visual language that intensively engages with light, texture, and atmosphere, leading the viewer to reflect on existential themes of life through their delicate symbolism and encrypted titles.
In the works of the series "Plastic," Elizabeth Joan Clarke also incorporates contemporary elements, which she then photographs with the additional use of artificial daylight. For instance, a layer of bubble wrap may replace a velvet tablecloth, or a piece of Styrofoam could serve as a marble tabletop. Disposable materials, with which she addresses not only the juxtaposition of past and present – the Past and the Present – but also critiques the way humans interact with their environment.
The works of Elizabeth Joan Clarke are regularly presented in solo and group exhibitions in museums, galleries, and art fairs. The artist lives and works in Boppard on the Rhine.

Exhibition duration: 07.09. – 09.11.2025

Accompanying program
Public guided tours of the exhibition:
• Sunday, September 21, 2025, 14:30
• Sunday, November 9, 2025, 14:30

 Charity art consultation with Christoph Bouillon (known from the television show “Kunst & Krempel”):
• Sunday, September 28, 2025, 11 AM – 5 PM, registration at the Roentgen Museum at 02631-803 379

Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday 11-5 PM, Saturday and Sunday 2-5 PM,
Admission for adults €5.00 and reduced €4.00; free admission on the first Saturday of the month

All exhibition spaces are accessible for people with disabilities.