The Life of Things

In the traditional Vanitas still-life painting everyday objects are painted with rich detail and texture producing a painting which is at once beautiful and of spiritual significance. Each object has a meaning (wealth, knowledge, pleasure etc) and as a whole the collection of objects symbolise the impermanence of man and the futility of earthly pleasures.
Inspired by the Vanitas I am looking at the things that surround us, objects which we have bought, kept, collected, made, found and salvaged. What is our relationship with these objects? How powerful can these everyday objects be as images symbolising something that cannot be photographed?
The life of objects aims to reflect the continuous cycle of life and can be seen as a metaphor for the journey of life itself.