'Nearly Eternal': food-art that’s too good to eat
The photographer Norbert Schoerner has turned his camera to the subject of food, working alongside Tokyo-based art director Steve Nakamura to create a sublime and mysterious portfolio of solitary meals, obscure ingredients and improbable still lives
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

The photographer Norbert Schoerner has turned his camera to the subject of food, working alongside Tokyo-based art director Steve Nakamura to create a sublime and mysterious portfolio of solitary meals, obscure ingredients and improbable still lives.
Nearly Eternal is not an everyday foray into edible imagery. Schoerner is an acclaimed and accomplished photographer, a pioneer of digital imagery with numerous fashion credits to his name and has long-running collaborations with The Face, Dazed & Confused and the Chapman Brothers. The German photographer’s partnership with Nakamura – another regular collaborator – treats food and its accessories as if they were props in an ongoing but obscure narrative. Both men revel in the use of rich blocks of colour and abstract forms, as well as the physicality of working with real things in real places.
Nearly Eternal revels in juxtaposition and artifice, whether it’s enticing or jarring (a smashed glass amidst melted ice, a strawberry against fake green fingernails). The result highlights not just the absurdity of hyper-styled food photography but the transient nature of food itself.
Simple food items morph into props over the course of the series
A meal without an eater – Nearly Eternal plays with the concept of 'food as display', something to be admired and not consumed...
... which touches upon the inherent irony of the 'food book' – at its heart, food photography creates images that 'look too good to eat', as seen in this almost-too-perfect, potentially plastic fruit
The dilemma: how to capture to the transcient nature of food via the distinctly un-transcient form of still photography, which by very definition can only capture a moment?
Schoerner tackles this by making each dish an art work, something intended to last, and Nakamura makes each photograph a beautiful record, together forming something which is 'nearly eternal', despite the subject's perishable nature. Pictured: two egg yolks are delicately suspended between pincer-like chopsticks, mimicking a hanging kumquat and testing our sensory perception
The role of 'eater' or 'restaurant-goer' is never filled – chairs remain empty and forks remain clean – which forces the reader into the position of 'eater', visually tasting and sampling each meal
Nearly Eternal will be available from December
INFORMATION
Nearly Eternal by Norbert Schoerner and Steve Nakamura, Chance Publishing (an imprint of Claire de Rouen Books) limited to 500 copies. Available from December, from Claire de Rouen's website (opens in new tab)
Photography: Steve Nakamura and Norbert Schoerner. Courtesy Claire de Rouen Books
ADDRESS
Claire de Rouen
First Floor
125 Charing Cross Road
London, WC2H 0EW
VIEW GOOGLE MAPS (opens in new tab)
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
Ten classic fountain pens for the personal touch
Ten fountain pens, from timeless designs to sleekly machined modern writing tools, prove that perfect penmanship is just a gold nib away
By Jonathan Bell • Published
-
Arctic conditions shape pared-down house in northern Sweden by Claesson Koivisto Rune
Claesson Koivisto Rune’s new pared-down house makes a bold sculptural statement on the banks of Sweden’s Lule River, shaped by building regulations and its location’s Arctic conditions
By Jonathan Bell • Published
-
Discover the secret of hydrated hair with the founder of haircare brand Dizziak
Loretta De Feo, founder of cult (and Dua Lipa-backed) haircare brand Dizziak, shares her beauty tips and goals for changing the industry
By Mary Cleary • Published
-
Best contemporary art books: a guide for 2023
From maverick memoirs to topical tomes, turn over a new leaf with the Wallpaper* arts desk’s pick of new releases and all-time favourite art books
By Harriet Lloyd-Smith • Published
-
Behind the scenes of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining: new book charts the making of a horror icon
Published in February 2023 by Taschen, a new collector's book will go behind the scenes of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, charting the unseen making of a film that defined the horror genre
By Harriet Lloyd-Smith • Published
-
The best photography books for your coffee table
Flick through, mull over and deep-dive into the best photography books on the market, from our shelves to you this Christmas 2022
By Sophie Gladstone • Published
-
New photo book chronicles the messy, magical mundanity of new motherhood
Sorry I Gave Birth I Disappeared But Now I’m Back by photographer Andi Galdi Vinko explores new motherhood in all its messy, beautiful reality
By Hannah Silver • Last updated
-
Brad Walls’ aerial view transforms pools into artwork
Aerial photographer Brad Walls provides a crisp conclusion to the summer months with new book Pools From Above – you’ll want to dive right in
By Martha Elliott • Last updated
-
K-style: understanding the rise of Korea’s creative golden age
Spanning music, fashion, design and food, a new book, Make Break Remix explores the global rise and rise of Korean culture
By SuhYoung Yun • Last updated
-
‘Punk ballerina’ Karole Armitage debuts a genre-bending show in New York
Karole Armitage, the choreographer behind Madonna’s Vogue video and Marc Jacobs’ A/W 2021 show, debuts A Pandemic Notebook at New York Live Arts
By Mary Cleary • Last updated
-
Forty years of the Barbican Centre: an art utopia made concrete
Building Utopia: The Barbican Centre, published to coincide with the institution’s 40th anniversary, explores the birth of the Barbican, its storied history and its unparalleled impact on contemporary arts and culture
By Harriet Lloyd-Smith • Last updated