Each year Paul Robinson, the founder of Caulfield Photographic Society sets members a challenge to compete for the perpetual trophy on offer. This year was a challenging subject - Vanitas Still Life. This is a symbolic work showing the transience of life, the futility of pleasure, and the certainty of death. It often has contrasting symbols of wealth and symbols of ephemerality and death. It was a common genre during the 16th and 17th centuries that has also been created at other times and in other media and styles. Common vanitas symbols include skulls, which are a reminder of the certainty of death; rotten fruit (decay); bubbles (the brevity of life and suddenness of death); smoke, watches, and hourglasses (the brevity of life); and musical instruments (also symbolizing the brevity and ephemeral nature of life). Fruit, flowers and butterflies can be interpreted in the same way, and a peeled lemon was, like life, attractive to look at but bitter to taste. These can be classical or a more modern interpretation. Members rose to the task with some very creative images.
TROPHY WINNER
Paul Robinson Trophy Winner: Barbara Went, Barbara Went
