Peter Peryer
Holy Tomato

Artwork Detail
Holy Tomato, as an image’s title, is a mark of the delight that this unforgettable photograph connotes. It is not obvious whether the carved wooden foot supporting the ripe tomato has been assembled by the artist or simply chanced upon. This ambiguity is central to the photograph’s ability to foster the realisation that one has probably never encountered such a coupling of 2 diverse objects like this before.
The large scale of the resulting printed photograph is central to how it is experienced. The intense sunlight raking from the left hand side suggests that the image may have been fabricated especially so that it may be photographed. By recording 2 simple objects together in such a dramatic manner, the artist imbues his image with senses of both celebration and affirmation.
- Title
- Holy Tomato
- Artist/creator
- Production date
- 2006
- Medium
- inkjet on paper
- Dimensions
- 753 x 941 mm
- Credit line
- Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased with funds from the Elise Mourant Bequest, 2019
- Accession no
- 2018/24/3
- Copyright
- Copying restrictions apply
- Department
- New Zealand Art
- Display status
- Not on display
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