Untitled (Pink Bubble) 1969

Craig Kauffman created this *Untitled (Pink Bubble)* object using cast resin, a material that can assume translucent, ethereal qualities. Here, the work embodies the bubble as a motif. The bubble’s delicate form belies a history rife with symbolism, reaching back to the vanitas paintings of the Dutch Golden Age. Then, the bubble symbolized the transience of life, a fragile, iridescent sphere destined to pop and disappear, a reminder of our mortality, a *memento mori*. Even earlier, the Roman philosopher Seneca compared life's brevity to bubbles. Yet, the bubble is more than just a symbol of mortality; it captures our fleeting experiences, transforming our breaths into a momentary spectacle of color and light. How curious that this symbol, laden with centuries of meaning, has resurfaced, evolved, and taken on new life in Kauffman’s hands.