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This series of digital illustrations explores the tradition of vanitas still lifes; symbolic works of art containing mostly inanimate objects that represent the transient nature of life. Each image contains items pertaining to time, death, cleanliness, play, boredom, pleasure, chaos, monotony, history, and hope. As a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, I have become much more aware of my own mortality and the ephemeral nature of my surroundings. Utilizing the vanitas tradition, I filter this experience with the acceptance of change, contentment in stillness, and an urgency to find joy in the present.

Bethanie Irons earned a BFA in Art from the University of South Dakota and MFA in Art from the University of Missouri. Irons also earned a PhD in Art Education from the University of Missouri, with an emphasis on higher education and teaching with technology. She is currently an Assistant Professor and Program Chair of Communication Design at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri.

For more of Bethanie’s work visit – bethanieirons.com

In Place was made possible through the generous grant from the Hanson Family Foundation.

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