impermanence-2 (2018) Fotoğraf Salvatore Balice tarafından

This photographic work focuses on the theme of “vanitas”, as from the 17th century still life paintings, but in a contemporary key.
“Vanitas vanitatum et omnia vanitas” ( latin translation of the Hebrew “hèvel havalim” from the Qohèlet) is the famous phrase taken from the Ecclesiaste, a sapiential book of the Bible . It expresses the feeling of powerlessness in the face of the impermanence of things; it is the recognition in death of the defeat of all our earthly endeavors.
It is a warning to the ephemeral condition of existence, in synthesis expressed by the historical sentence “memento mori”.
This famous warning to the transience of the existence, ended up being symbolized by the human skull over the centuries.
Nowadays the representation of a human skull, from a tattoo to a worldwide known artwork, it’s simply something cool, trendy, no longer worthy of its significance. It’s the expression, once again, that everything - symbols included - is nothing but vanity.
For in our age no one seems to care much about the essence of existence, maybe we can only allow ourselves to be kidnapped by the inexorable, tragic and beautiful dance of life with the hope of bringing a bit of happiness and joy into it by surrendering to the transience of forms, just like in a “danse macabre”.

Printed with archival fine art pigment-based ink, on fine art photographic paper Hahnemühle Museum Etching 350g, with a matt finish.
It comes with a certificate issued by the printing LAB and signed by me.

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VanitasDigital PhotographyDigital ArtNudeConceptual Art