Artist Statement
This series of digital illustrations explores the tradition of vanitas still lives; 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.
Artist Biography
Bethanie Irons is an artist and educator currently residing in Columbia, Missouri.
She 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.
