Rebecca Deary’s current body of work is a contemporary, modern take on the vanitas paintings of the early seventeenth centaury, containing various motifs that remind the viewer of their mortality, and the pointlessness of material possessions. In the twenty-first century there seems to be such a focus materialism and ownership of goods and we mass produce on such a large scale. In the eyes of the artist, much of what we produce as a species is waste, including the ceramic dishes in our kitchen cupboards and the sponges that we use to wash our dirty plates. These items that we use daily are very quickly discarded and replaced by something new and usually unnecessary, and our items are sent to landfill. These objects that we fill our lives with have a much longer lifespan than us, most not decaying for centuries.

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Much of Deary’s still life paintings focus on food waste and contrasting this organic matter with synthetic, man-made goods used in the kitchen setting. Through doing so, the artist aims to highlight the abnormality of these objects that we produce and question our definition of ‘waste’, broadening its meaning and inviting viewers to consider the weight of their consumption habits on the environment. 

 

Instagram: @beccadearyart

Email: rebeccadearyart@gmail.com