Kitchen Cupboard

Herzl Kashetsky’s paintings are contemplative records of the commonplace. His Kitchen Cupboard (1977) is a highly realistic painting of pantry staples stored in their typical setting, meticulously rendered, frozen in time.

Here, the artist archives the seemingly mundane for posterity. Over the years, he has documented his immediate environment, his home, his studio, his city and his heritage.

At first glance, this kitchen cupboard appears to be generically “North American”, but the closer we look, the more precise its geographical and historical setting becomes.

Consumer goods in Canada reveal the country’s bilingualism by identifying products in both English and French.

The presence of Scotian Gold and Schwartz branded jars draws us towards the Atlantic provinces where these products originate from and where Kashetsky resides.

Kashetsky associated with the Magic Realists, an art movement defined by sharp-focus and precise representations of objects lit by vibrant light. A unique characteristic of Magic Realist painting is the peculiar sense of mystery that it harbours.