Three Way Vanitas 

Editor: Here we have Scott Fraser's "Three Way Vanitas," an oil painting playing with the Vanitas theme and trompe-l'oeil. It has such a quiet, contemplative feel, even though there's so much to see. What do you see in this piece, looking beyond the surface? Curator: Beyond the stunning realism, this piece feels like a layered commentary on societal pressures, doesn't it? The vanitas theme—the reminder of mortality— intersects with what looks like very contemporary objects: the blue plastic mirror, the suggestion of digital screens in the multiple reflections. It's as though Fraser is asking us to consider how fleeting contemporary obsessions are when compared to our mortality. Editor: That's a cool way to put it! I was mainly focused on the butterflies; the symbol of transformation, I believe. Does it resonate with themes of, say, gender and identity? Curator: Precisely! Aren't the butterflies also staged, pinned to these conventional notions of femininity and fragility? The whole piece creates a sense of unease: who are we performing for, in this hall of mirrors, and what does it cost us? The skull replaced by a chef's hat, maybe alluding to today’s performative food culture, this hyper-curated culinary self? The symbols that we give so much power to are as empty as bones in the end, as exposed as in an autopsy room. How do these thoughts impact how you understand yourself and society? Editor: That makes it way more critical. It's not just pretty—it’s questioning all the structures. Now I want to know who this 'Duffy' on the books is and if he is okay. Curator: Yes, precisely. That's where art's power truly lies: inviting inquiry. Editor: I'm going to look into how the modern concepts intersect the Vanitas symbolism after this for sure.