David Baskin (b. 1964, Washington) lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.

David Baskin’s Vanitas Project is a chrome sculpture that uses art historical models to address modern everyday consumerism. Taking its name from the 17th-century Dutch painting series, which traditionally presented still lives with symbolic imagery portraying death. Baskin’s modernized vanitas transforms the painted still life into three-dimensional, chrome sculptures. Opposed to the painting series of the Dutch vanitas, Baskin made his contemporary construction of primarily kitsch or ersatz chrome products that are highly relevant and present in retail landscape. Baskin’s installation entertains oneself into the idea of artwork as a luxury item. Baskin's sculptures often incorporate erotic imagery, challenging viewers to confront their desires and the influence of consumerism on their lives. This enduring theme of Vanitas continues to offer a lens through which to explore mortality, desire, and the fleeting nature of human existence.