A vanitas is a symbolic work of art showing the transience of life, the futility of pleasure, and the certainty of death, often contrasting symbols of wealth and symbols of ephemerality and death.

The Vanitas movement was one of the first where working artists had the ability to choose what they were painting. While the themes and symbols were predefined, the specifics allowed for some flexibility. My interest in these paintings is a celebration of the choices those artists made, as well as a challenge for myself to interpret the theme in my own way, as they did.

What began as a solely 3D exploration eventually evolved to be a combination of 3D and AI imagery. Using artificial intelligence to help create images themed around mortality and religion is both fascinating and hilarious to me. Eventually, this work would begin to move into an animated form that I hope to continue exploring over time.