Jo Ann Callis: Dish Trick

ROSEGALLERY is pleased to present Dish Trick, an exhibition of photographs by Jo Ann Callis. In this series, Callis offers a poetic and psychological exploration of everyday objects, inviting viewers to consider the silent power these forms hold in our lives.

Callis describes the work as a deconstruction of traditional still life. Rather than arranging elements into a static scene, she isolates and re-examines each one on its own terms. “I originally thought of taking a still life and taking it apart,” she says, “looking at each object individually.”

The resulting compositions are drawn entirely from the artist’s imagination, guided by curiosity and emotion rather than logic. “These arrangements were in my mind, just as anyone might create associative combinations. I was just thinking, you have to build your own relations," she reflects. Callis sees objects not as neutral props but as repositories of personal and cultural meaning; items that invite us to project stories, memories, and feelings.

There is a quiet philosophy at work in Dish Trick, one rooted in the contrast between human impermanence and domestic stability. “Stability is an illusion,” Callis notes. “Human relationships are always changing, from day to day, hour to hour, but the objects in your home are forever. It’s comforting to have that familiarity to come home to.” In a world of constant flux, these objects offer continuity. “People come and go,” she says, “but these objects will remain. They’re patiently waiting for us.” In Dish Trick, Callis elevates the ordinary. Her photographs are less about what things are, and more about what they mean—how we see them, how we feel about them, and how they reflect our inner lives. The result is a body of work that is intimate, imaginative, and quietly profound.