{"id":47200,"date":"2023-03-23T09:36:37","date_gmt":"2023-03-23T13:36:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/?page_id=47200"},"modified":"2023-04-28T11:28:31","modified_gmt":"2023-04-28T15:28:31","slug":"vanitas_viriditas","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/vanitas_viriditas\/","title":{"rendered":"Vanitas + Viriditas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t\t\t\t\"Vanitas-&-Viriditas-title-logo\n\t

 <\/p>\n

\n

“Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?<\/em><\/p>\n

Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?”<\/em><\/p>\n

–T.S. Eliot<\/p>\n

 <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\t

Vanitas & Viriditas is an exploration of two divergent perspectives on wisdom, and how we might flourish in a modern world filled with facts but mired in confusion.<\/p>\n\n

The\u00a0Vanitas paintings include a figure named\u00a0Qohelet<\/em> (Hebrew for “Teacher”). Inspired by the Jewish wisdom book of Ecclesiastes, these works represent the vanity of human striving for power, wealth, and knowledge, often at the expense of the earth. The art historical vanitas<\/em> genre, popularized by 17th<\/sup> century Dutch still life painters, is based on the refrain in Ecclesiastes, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” These images often included motifs such as skulls, moths, and ephemera to remind viewers of the temporality of life and inevitability of death. Similarly in my works, Qohelet seeks to deconstruct all the ways in which we find meaning and purpose in life, that inescapably let us down. He chases after modern idols of science, technology, material consumption and pleasure, ultimately finding them wanting. Is it all just smoke and mirrors? Is there wisdom in being at peace with the endless paradoxes, or is it cause for despair? The philosophy behind the Vanitas paintings is visually symbolized through an achromatic colour palette, Japanese zen rock gardens, and barren nihilistic landscapes.<\/p>\n\n

The\u00a0Viriditas paintings comprise a figure named\u00a0Sophia<\/em> (Greek for “wisdom”) inspired by the female personification of wisdom from the book of Proverbs. These works espouse virtues such as simplicity, humility, wonder, and awe, vital for cultivating ecological wisdom. The 12th<\/sup> century nature mystic Hildegard von Bingen informed the character development of Sophia, from whom the Latin expression viriditas<\/em> (translated as “holy greening”) originates. Sophia lives in a harmonious relationship with the natural world, attuning herself to the seasonal rhythms of nature. The vernal colour palette in these paintings is bright and cheery-emerald, sienna, yellow and amethyst, accompanied by Celtic and Gothic Revival aesthetics.<\/p>\n\n

Both Qohelet and Sophia are complemented by animal companions. As Qohelet grapples through his existential crisis, a diminutive Elf Owl perches on his cap in “Swallowed by Knowledge.” When he explores the metaverse, a Jaguar glares across the apocalyptic fate of the technocracy in “Nirvana 5G.” A dying Pelican, caught in a fishing line, is surrounded by her chicks after a human-caused oil spill in “All Creatures Lament.” A ferret lies motionless on the science lab table, a casualty of animal testing in “The Ferret Trials.” Qohelet is disenchanted with the natural world and ambivalent toward his fellow creatures, since ‘there is nothing new under the sun’. In the words of S\u00f8ren Kierkegaard, “the lonely wanderer is everywhere surrounded in nature by that which does not understand him, even though it always seems as if an understanding must be arrived at.” Sophia seeks to learn from the symphony of creation, heeding the advice of the ancient sage named Job:<\/p>\n\n“But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
\nthe birds of the air, and they will tell you;
\nask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you,
\nand the fish of the sea will declare to you.\nWho among all these does not know
\nthat the hand of the\u00a0Lord\u00a0has done this?\nIn his hand is the life of every living thing
\nand the breath of every human being.”\n\n

She discovers an old hymn by St. Francis of Assisi, depicted in the painting “All Creatures Praise” surrounded by a plethora of flora and fauna. In “Greening the White Cube” Sophia is beckoned into an abandoned art gallery by a doe observing nature’s reclamation of material possessions.<\/p>\n\n

For Qohelet, wisdom is pursued with “fear and trembling,” accepting the sobering truth that everything in this world is fleeting. For Sophia, the path to wisdom is re-enchantment with the earth and its Creator, manifested in embodied skillful living (the Hebrew understanding of wisdom). The original meaning of the word philosophy–“love of wisdom,” is thereby restored. Flourishing can occur when we align ourselves with the wise grain of the universe.<\/p>\n\n

Comprising 5,000 hours of painting over the course of three years, Vanitas & Viriditas consists of 23 meticulously crafted works accompanied by written artist statements. This series will debut at the new gallery space of Rehs Contemporary in New York City April 2023.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"The\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\tThe Kairos Stones
Oil on Birch
18 x 40 inches
$12,500\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"Auguries\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\tAuguries of Innocence I
Oil on Birch
6.5 x 11 inches
Framed: 10 x 15 inches
SOLD\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"Greening\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\tGreening the White Cube
Oil on Birch
23 x 40 inches
$18,000\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"The\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\tThe Ferret Trials
Oil on Birch
8 x 8 inches
Framed: 12 x 12 inches
$3,000\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"Sophia<br\/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\tSophia
Oil on Birch
24 x 24 inches
$11,000\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"In\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\tIn This Birch Grove
Oil on Birch
30.5 x 31.5 inches
SOLD\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"Triquetra<br\/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\tTriquetra
Oil on Birch
13 x 13 inches
SOLD\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"Auguries\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\tAuguries of Innocence II
Oil on Birch
12.5 x 7 inches
SOLD\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"Alpha\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\tAlpha and Omega
Oil on Birch
31 x 47 inches
$24,500\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"All\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\tAll Creatures Praise
Oil on Birch
14 x 10 inches
$4,500\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"All\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\tAll Creatures Lament
Oil on Birch
26 x 26 inches
$12,000\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"The\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\tThe Ferret Trials
Oil on Birch
12 x 12 inches
Framed: 16 x 16 inches
\n$4,000\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"Swallowed\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\tSwallowed by Knowledge
Oil on Birch
30 x 40 inches
$22,500\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"Refracting\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\tRefracting Infinity
Oil on Birch
6 x 24 inches
$17,000\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"Nirvana\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\tNirvana 5G
Oil on Birch
36 x 24 inches
$17,000\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"Momento\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\tMomento Mori
Oil on Birch
36 x 24
$17,000\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"Concept\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\tConcept for The Kairos Stones
Graphite Pencil
6.5 x 10 inches
$750\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"Concept\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\tConcept for Greening the White Cube
Graphite Pencil
6.5 x 10 inches
$750\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"Concept\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\tConcept for Swallowed by Knowledge
Graphite Pencil
6 x 8 inches
$750\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"Concept\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\tConcept for Nirvana 5G
Graphite Pencil
10 x 6.5 inches
$750\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"Concept\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\tConcept for Refracting Infinity
Graphite Pencil
11 x 7.5 inches
\n$750\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"Concept\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\tConcept for Creation Cathedral
Graphite Pencil
8 x 6 inches
$750\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  “Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?” –T.S. Eliot   Vanitas & Viriditas is an exploration of two divergent perspectives on wisdom, and how we might flourish in … More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"templates\/fullwidth-contemporary.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-47200","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nVanitas + Viriditas - Rehs Galleries<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/vanitas_viriditas\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Vanitas + Viriditas\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"  “Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?” –T.S. Eliot   Vanitas & Viriditas is an exploration of two divergent perspectives on wisdom, and how we might flourish in … More...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/vanitas_viriditas\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Rehs Galleries\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RehsGalleriesInc\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-04-28T15:28:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Vanitas-Viriditas-title-logo-1.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rehs.com\\\/eng\\\/vanitas_viriditas\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rehs.com\\\/eng\\\/vanitas_viriditas\\\/\",\"name\":\"Vanitas + Viriditas - Rehs Galleries\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rehs.com\\\/eng\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rehs.com\\\/eng\\\/vanitas_viriditas\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rehs.com\\\/eng\\\/vanitas_viriditas\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rehs.com\\\/eng\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/Vanitas-Viriditas-title-logo-1.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-03-23T13:36:37+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-04-28T15:28:31+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rehs.com\\\/eng\\\/vanitas_viriditas\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/rehs.com\\\/eng\\\/vanitas_viriditas\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rehs.com\\\/eng\\\/vanitas_viriditas\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rehs.com\\\/eng\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/Vanitas-Viriditas-title-logo-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rehs.com\\\/eng\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/Vanitas-Viriditas-title-logo-1.png\",\"width\":2559,\"height\":506},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rehs.com\\\/eng\\\/vanitas_viriditas\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rehs.com\\\/eng\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Vanitas + Viriditas\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rehs.com\\\/eng\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rehs.com\\\/eng\\\/\",\"name\":\"Rehs Galleries\",\"description\":\"Offering and acquiring high quality paintings in excellent condition. Family owned and operated for more than 80 years!\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rehs.com\\\/eng\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rehs.com\\\/eng\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rehs.com\\\/eng\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Rehs Galleries\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rehs.com\\\/eng\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rehs.com\\\/eng\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rehs.com\\\/eng\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/02\\\/indexlogo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rehs.com\\\/eng\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/02\\\/indexlogo.jpg\",\"width\":153,\"height\":85,\"caption\":\"Rehs Galleries\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rehs.com\\\/eng\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/RehsGalleriesInc\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/rehsgalleries\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/rehsgalleries\\\/?hl=en\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/rehscontemporary\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/twitter.com\\\/rehscgi\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/rehscontemporary\\\/?hl=en\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Vanitas + Viriditas - Rehs Galleries","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/vanitas_viriditas\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Vanitas + Viriditas","og_description":"  “Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?” –T.S. Eliot   Vanitas & Viriditas is an exploration of two divergent perspectives on wisdom, and how we might flourish in … More...","og_url":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/vanitas_viriditas\/","og_site_name":"Rehs Galleries","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RehsGalleriesInc","article_modified_time":"2023-04-28T15:28:31+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Vanitas-Viriditas-title-logo-1.png","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/vanitas_viriditas\/","url":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/vanitas_viriditas\/","name":"Vanitas + Viriditas - Rehs Galleries","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/vanitas_viriditas\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/vanitas_viriditas\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Vanitas-Viriditas-title-logo-1.png","datePublished":"2023-03-23T13:36:37+00:00","dateModified":"2023-04-28T15:28:31+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/vanitas_viriditas\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/vanitas_viriditas\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/vanitas_viriditas\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Vanitas-Viriditas-title-logo-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Vanitas-Viriditas-title-logo-1.png","width":2559,"height":506},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/vanitas_viriditas\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Vanitas + Viriditas"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/#website","url":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/","name":"Rehs Galleries","description":"Offering and acquiring high quality paintings in excellent condition. Family owned and operated for more than 80 years!","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/#organization","name":"Rehs Galleries","url":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/indexlogo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/indexlogo.jpg","width":153,"height":85,"caption":"Rehs Galleries"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RehsGalleriesInc","https:\/\/x.com\/rehsgalleries","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/rehsgalleries\/?hl=en","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/rehscontemporary\/","https:\/\/twitter.com\/rehscgi","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/rehscontemporary\/?hl=en"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/47200","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47200"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/47200\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rehs.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47200"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}