Lot 37

Kristin Sjaarda investigates the intricacies of the ecosystem through photography. Influenced by the floral still life paintings of the 17th-century Dutch Golden Age, particularly the work of Rachel Ruysch (1664-1750) and her depiction of nature’s impermanence, these images reflect the fleeting beauty of flora while confronting contemporary concerns surrounding climate change and environmental degradation. The work incorporates references to vanitas, a genre that evokes the transience of mortality and earthly pleasures through symbolism, as well as the drama of sottobosco, a style that emphasizes the undergrowth of wild ecosystems. Here, vanitas no longer serves as a symbol of mortality, but instead looks outward, acting as an admonition to respect and preserve the environment that sustains human existence.