Fine

Plinth Included

Base Rock Engraved: OMNIA VANITAS

Total Weight: 10,5KG

"An excerpt from Henning’s 2023 Michaelis School of Art Graduate body of work, Still Life, in which the artist deconstructs the Dutch vanitas painting tradition that flourished in the early 17th century in the Netherlands. Here, Henning finds comfort in nostalgia, overwhelmed with questions as he attempts to make sense of his own role in our current environmental crisis, particularly the impacts of climate change and ecological degradation, while striving to be a responsible and compassionate human.

Traditionally, a still life consists of a collection of objects symbolizing the owner's wealth, culture, and status, while also being an ode to mortality and the impermanence of mortal life in contrast to an everlasting spiritual promise. Henning, however, has separated these objects, allowing them to be viewed in no particular order.

Titled in Latin, Fine translates to "at the end" and depicts a balancing bird concealing the words "OMNIA VANITAS" or "All is vanity" engraved beneath. The work itself presents a perfect equilibrium between perpetual becoming and being, akin to the non finito sculptures produced by Michelangelo during the Renaissance. This moment of flux creates a lingering allure by the artist's design, encouraging a deeper contemplation of Henning's respect for the beauty of both what is and what he sees."

Credit: Images Courtesy of The Artist & Real Happy Pictures.