Our thirty-seventh post of the series, Artists in the Time of Coronavirus includes Paula Cahill, Stephanie Manzi, Brittany De Nigris, Josephine Consoli, Michael Kondel, Corey Armpriester! 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 over 300 submissions, so if you haven’t seen yours yet, don’t worry- it is coming, and we can’t wait to post it!]
Paula Cahill
I strive to extend the historical conversation with line and elevate the integral role it has played in art, design, and the sciences since its early appearance in rock and cave drawings. My paintings are comprised of a single, continuous line that connects back to itself or travels off of the page; thus, inviting the viewer to a participatory and contemplative experience through the act of visual tracking. These mono-chromatic and multi-hued line formations are rooted in catalysts from art historical reference, geometry, visual semantics, or personal experience. The multi-color paintings change hues hundreds of times via the seamless application of up to 100 closely mixed, luminous, gradients that are laid down one brushstroke at a time in my attempts to contemporize line.
When Governor Wolf established stay at home orders, I moved supplies and works in progress out of my Philadelphia studio and into the basement of my home where I continue to work and be amazed by line. I also started, “Secret Art in Quarantine,” a Facebook group with a mission to help people stay home creatively. I’m excited to say that over 170 musicians, visual artists, speakers, culinary artists, etc… have worked together to support one another artistically on this platform. You can learn more about “Secret Art in Quarantine,” by messaging me on Facebook. You can learn more about my paintings at paulacahill.com or on instagram.
Stephanie Manzi
My work is based in environmental observations from her childhood in Upstate, New York and current urban landscape of Philadelphia. I study how the brain interprets new images from foundational memories; working to pull out the most important visual elements, breaking color into bands, surface into texture and material into artifact of painting study and collecting found objects. The images map out changing patterns of my current days, as I have been laid off and trying to find a way to navigate the stressful and constantly changing realities of the virus.
Brittany De Nigris
Brittany De Nigris and Abby Donovan, “throwing pollen and the graveyard”
here is a situation/conversation that took place over zoom April 16 2020. Blossoms nodding between the Woodlands Cemetery in West Philadelphia and Abby’s garden in Eugene, Oregon.
Thank you–and best regards,
Brittany De Nigrishttps://www.instagram.com/brittanydenigris/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/abbydonovan181/?hl=en
Josephine Consoli
Josephine Consoli is an emerging artist who works mainly in contour drawings and abstract figurative art. Josephine holds a bachelor degree in Visual Arts from SUNY Purchase College and is currently enrolled in Hunter College for Childhood Education (remote learning).
A principal theme in Josephine’s work is connection, gender-identity, and levels of intimacy. Her work is inspired by Gustave Klimt, Ggon Schiele, and Soey Milk. She is concentrated on emotions showcasing sexuality and different aspects of relationships within self or others.
Woman series depict diverse forms of sexuality in culture and spirituality; it displays subtle nudity but also vulnerability.It was created during the pandemic, displaying isolation and solitary.The setting of the place is arbitrary but yet intimate. The figure wraps herself with an elaborate blanket that shields her from the outside environment. Natural sunlight is reflected onto the covers and interior wall space. She is inviting the audience to experience harmony and serenity. It raises questions about the perspective of body but also faith. The relationship between spirituality and identity is greatly prominent.
Current Circumstance
Living in a city,
that used be loud and restless,
now I hear is silence.Unemployed and a student,
that is afraid to leave the house, and cannot even find a job. Hopeless and fear is what I feel recently.Streets are empty,
grocery stores have lack of supplies.Nothing left. Absolutely nothing.All I can do is be grateful to be alive and well. Eat, study, pray, and make art makes up my day. This is supposed to be life after all.
Michael Kondel
I celebrate and revel in the wreckage from the collision of new technology and cultures, and the begrudging coexistence with new systems. Through abstraction I aim to bring the viewer closer to a constant tug of war between our primal beginnings and the virtual world we approach.
Born in the eighties and raised on a farm, I hold a critical lens to the impact of the internet, a global world view, and the advancement of technology. I am excited to tear down traditional ideologies and watch the impact it brings, while notating some skills and ways of life to preserve. I contemplate the complex strengths and shortcomings of myself and others on the threshold between the real and the virtual. I am aware of where I came from and sometimes I love to forget as I become a new American
The submitted works from the “Survival Kit Series” are created to embody ideas of love and redefine survival after a breakup. Through rehabilitative research in computer science, and deep exploration of paint, the work encapsulates a period of intangible realities, spirits of dystopia, and a search to understand love.
Corey Armpriester
[ED. NOTE: Corey Armpriester is a former Artblog contributor! Check out their posts here.]
