Oranges are a fruit with a long history, one closely tied to art. From moralizing symbols in Dutch still lifes to commercial icons of sunshine and health in modern advertisement, the simple fruit has taken on innumerable meanings in the hands of artists. In a new series of works by Robert Ginder, these histories are blended: the orange becomes object, icon, and symbol, all in one. “Part of an ongoing practice that links fruit still-life with a randomly selected virtue in the title,” Ginder states, “these paintings without irony are meant to emphasize utter simplicity with a pop-folk bluntness.”

Ginder titles each work with a virtue, recalling Dutch tradition, wherein each element of a still life was a symbol of virtue or a reminder of mortality. Oranges came to symbolize wealth and high moral standing. The gold leaf backdrop of these “secular icons” further ties the paintings to their religious counterparts, evoking the sumptuous gilding of altars and devotional pieces. The orange fruit itself draws upon religious tradition; the so-called “golden apples” conflate Classical and Biblical gardens, bringing together the Hesperides and Eden as one pastoral paradise. Much of Ginder’s oeuvre draws inspiration from Southern California: bungalows, beaches, palm trees, and the once ubiquitous orange groves. Spanish missionaries planted the first orange trees in California in 1769. By 1900, they were a staple of the California economy, a symbol synonymous with the idyllic, sun-drenched Golden State.

These paintings are a glorification of a simple fruit. When I first saw them, I was reminded of Wendy Cope’s poem The Orange, an expression of finding joy in a simple task, like running errands and sharing an orange with friends. It is a poem I have found myself returning to throughout the past few months as daily routines were interrupted and rebuilt. In a time where daily stresses seem overwhelming, oranges are the perfect way to reconnect to these small moments of joy. They are fruit with a presence: the oils and juices leave your hands sticky with residue, the smell lingers in the air after you are done. Take the time to enjoy the action of it – peeling, sectioning, consuming. Maybe it’ll bring you a pocket of joy.

- Laurel Rand-Lewis
   Gallery Director


All of the artwork in this online exhibition is available for purchase.
For inquiries, please call 310-913-0749 or email at info@craigkrullgallery.com.