IN THE HANDS OF JANET RICKUS, still life becomes stylish, contemporary and electric. Many of the props that she works with-fruit, vegetables and pottery-have been staples of the genre for centuries, but Rickus finds new and surprising ways to pose and arrange traditional elements. She also adds curiosities, a modern fabric print or an unusual piece of ceramic that signals something distinctly present day. This sense is reinforced by the overall look of the paintings, a crisp clarity in which each object is fully realized in a crystal, cool daylight.
