Our thirty-third post of the series, Artists in the Time of Coronavirus includes Kath Alder, Ansel Oommen, Caitlin Sheeder, Nicole Rodrigues, Shawn Beeks, Juliana Leventhal, and Chloe Pinero! Thank you for all who submitted! And if you want to participate, send your statement (250 words max) and 2 photos to support@theartblog.org. More details here. Stay safe and stay positive, and come back in the days to come for more “Artists in the Time of Coronavirus.” We have a wonderful community and are so proud of being able to share everyone’s art.
[Note: We have gotten almost 300 submissions, so if you haven’t seen yours yet, don’t worry- it is coming, and we can’t wait to post it!]
Kath Alder
Both these paintings were painted during lock down. Both represent in abstract form the weight and force of things no one can control.
Infinity Stages is the weight of the world on our shoulders. The hope is that we have the infinite stamina to take on the challenge
Fancy Shoes represents the journey we didn’t want to take but have some ability to control our pace
Ansel Oommen
As a medical technologist working in clinical microbiology, my colleagues and I are often out of sight and as a result, out of mind in the public realm, even though we are just as impacted by this pandemic as are other healthcare workers. The paradox of being a technologist is that our patients are physically present, but not entirely and they are psychologically present, but not entirely either. Despite this ambiguousness, when dealing with hundreds of samples per day and viewing the results before everyone else, we feel the brewing storm looming over the horizon just the same.
As an artist, I am hit twice. After 20 consecutive nights of conducting SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests, I needed to recover from my own physical and psychological fatigue by finding meaning in my current experience. It is hard to reconcile the losses I feel and the frustration I have towards the careless response of our federal government. As healthcare workers, we are usually supposed to “stay in our lane” but increasingly, I am coming to find that in order to make progressive changes in our society, we have to be political. We have a responsibility to be activists. We have a responsibility to speak up and speak out against ignorance and negligence. While working late one night, I glanced over at the familiar biohazard labels in the lab and realized that they were an undiscovered medium- one that captures the intricate concerns of being both an artist and a scientist.
Caitlin Sheeder
My name is Caitlin and I’m a proud native of Philadelphia where I work in publishing and practice painting in my free time.
The alteration of our physical senses, specifically those sensations produced by touch or lack thereof, during COVID19 inspired these two watercolor pieces.
Yours in quarantine <3
Caitlin Rae
Nicole Rodrigues
During these times, I’ve been focusing more on what needs to get done and where I can help. I’ve been trying to advocate for those who are incarcerated and in detention that are more at risk of getting the virus and donating time and money into the cause. I’m trying to create work that speaks to people during these times and can also be informative and inspiring. The art I’m making is also healing for myself and I’ve been enjoying slow processes that I couldn’t do with my busy schedule. We are slowing down and allowing ourselves for more meaningful self-reflection even though we are also struggling and stressed out. If you want to check out more of my work, you can find me on instagram at @lost.mirage or my website www.nikkirodrigues.com
Shawn Beeks
Leading up to the pandemic I’d spent the last 4 months creating small paintings for two solo exhibitions. The likelihood of these shows opening is in doubt as social distancing continues. Already being between jobs and seeing a sharp rise in unemployment filings, I don’t know when I’ll be able to work again, but I haven’t stopped making art because of the routine it provides on a daily basis. I would like to find a way to give these paintings new homes to continue feeling productive. You can help by asking questions about the new work, or suggest subjects you’d like to see painted in ink, acrylic or oil. You can always purchase a piece as a gift for someone and have it shipped directly to them since you can’t be there in person. New paintings will regularly be posted on Instagram under @slapstikskateboardart.
Shawn Beeks
instagram @slapstikskateboardart
www.slapstikskateboardart.com
Juliana Leventhal
I work with environmentally friendly art, and I’m hoping in the near future want to start an online art shop for eco art. This painting attached is personal, and but I feel it meets the prompt, and is a fun story for your blog.
My art is about capturing moments, and recreating them in a way viewers can reflect on the thoughts and feelings of that experience. I love the moments I can share, that connect people through their shared moments and experiences. Even the common experience of walking a dog can be shared, even with non-dog owners.
As a former dog walker though this experience is shared with 30 different dogs as we conquered the Philly streets together. In fact a Fishtown friend found the frame of this painting, making this painting even more sentimental.
Chloe Pinero
I am a Philadelphia based artist who works in mixed media and found materials. My digital collage and sculpture work are constructed with an intuitive approach and are based in memory, family history, and personal experience. This specific body of work sources found imagery that combines visual mythologies of sexualized and feminized images.
With a lot more time on my hands and not many art materials at home, I turned to my computer to make digital collages. Usually this is the part of my process that serves as a place of sketching for paintings or larger pieces. But with these I’ve been able to source more specific imagery and have been able to reflect on why I make this work and why I choose the imagery that I do. I am eager to test out printing one of them super large scale when businesses open again.
While this time has been extremely difficult for the world and for all of us individually, it has provided me with what feels like endless time to just be, think, and make. I’ve been able to reconnect with peers, former teachers, and fellow artists- and found that we’ve had a lot more time to ask each other questions, and share more about our process and creative spaces. I’m also trying to form habits for my practice now that I can take with me when life picks up the pace again.
IG: @chloepinero
Website: https://www.chloelpinero.com/
