Vanitas

I enjoyed the sort of empty feeling the original piece conveyed, so in turn I tried to incorporate objects that were seemingly empty or blank. The bottles, were placed in the back as part of camouflaging the editing I did in the background, also due to their height I didn’t want them blocking too much of the rest of the table. The mirror, is centered and turned upward, showing only a reflection from another side of the wall, further emphasizing the empty theme that I’ve tried to convey. The bottle caps, are placed on the plates in spaces where oyster shells once were, as another addition to the waste on the table (oyster shells, lemon peel, mustard). The Coca-Cola glass makes me think about our connection between the beverage and childhood, and its placement in this scenery is a representation of innocence or childhood corrupted or lost. I used a variety of dodging, burning, and smudging filters on the background in order to erase original objects (two glasses).  Overall, I’m pleased with this piece, particularly the work I did on the bottles.