Artist studios are almost always fascinating. That goes double for still life artists, who fill their spaces with their subjects—antique vases, wide-mouthed pitchers, baskets overflowing with floral arrangements and ceramic bowls filled with odds and ends. For Utah painter Wendy Chidester, her cast of characters includes many retro offerings: vintage crank-operated telephones, typewriters in fancy cases and, lately, peddle-car toys. European Hotel Phone, oil on canvas, 30 x 30"

“I have grandkids and they’re young so when they come over they are just enamored with all my things, especially the tricycles and these little riding cars,” Chidester says. “Or they want to know how the old typewriters work or the old telephones. I have to explain to them it took a long time to call back then, especially if the phone number had a lot of 9s in it.”National Portable, oil on canvas, 30 x 30"

The still life painter will be presenting 10 new works at a show opening February 2 at Arden Gallery in Boston. Several of the new works will be strap-tank motorcycles, subjects that were not feasible to have her in studio due to their size and rarity. Strap-tank motorcycles look more like bicycles than anything, with a simple frame and handlebars, and in some cases even peddles. But then, strapped to the inside frame is a small motor and gas tank. “When I saw these up close and in person, I was just amazed. I love all the little detail in the wear and tear of each one. It all tells a story. I think of how many riders may have ridden it, and all the places it’s been,” the artist says. “It’s those stories that bring the objects to life.”1910 Harley Davidson, oil on canvas, 36 x 60" 

Ferrari No. 8, oil on canvas, 27 x 48"

Chidester connects with other objects in often the same way. When she paints a telephone she thinks of all the people who could have used it, and all the conversations that were made through—births were revealed, well-wishes were shared, grocery orders were placed, deaths were announced. For cameras, her mind shifts to summer vacations, Christmas gatherings, places around the world. She’s not just painting a camera. She’s painting a witness to history.

“I think people relate to objects because the objects bring them back to a point in history. And each object has a story behind it, to the owner and the person looking at it. You see something and you think of your father or your grandfather, or maybe your own story,” she says. “Today things are forgotten and replaced much faster. It seems these objects are only meant to last two or three years anymore. Back then things were made to last.”

Chidester’s new show will be on view through February 28. —

Arden Gallery 129 Newbury Street • Boston, MA 02116 • (617) 247-0610 • www.ardengallery.com 

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