Our thirty-eighth post of the series, Artists in the Time of Coronavirus includes Cindy Lutz Kornet, Sophie Sanders, Gailenanna DeJong-Dougherty, Manuela Benaim, Andrew Wohl, Constance Culpepper, and Alan Lankin. 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!]
Cindy Lutz Kornet
As I sit by my window and gaze into the wooded area, I feel such a deep sadness and wonder what heaven must be like right now. So many souls are entering all at once. I imagine them confused, tired and maybe a little relieved depending on circumstance. I think they are being escorted in lovingly. The losses are so immense. Keep Social Distancing. Take best care of yourselves, your neighbors and the environment. It is a time to commit to being worthy of Life on Earth.
I have been drawing beloved objects from my home daily since the Covid Virus Quarantine began. It is a healthy process that keeps me calm and balanced. It also serves as a constant reminder to be grateful and to count my blessings.
Sophie Sanders
“My work investigates the emotional fabric of relationships and aspects of personal and collective identity. My paintings, prints, and recent artist books have also been inspired by involvement in dance, yoga, music, feminist theory, and my work in the field of art history.
Since the COVID-19 epidemic struck the United States, the seeming stability of life seismically shifted to uncertainty in a matter of several days. This state of collective anxiety, lack of sound or responsible executive leadership, and the need to behave differently required new skills, and increased vigilance for communal and individual safety. It was revealed that our administration already knew that we were unprepared for such a crisis. There was devastating news of the deaths of artist and scholar David Driskell and art writer Maurice Berger. Ironically, I was teaching about the culture wars and art in the age of AIDS, and reflecting upon the legacy and lessons of that period.
Last night, I decided to paint a woman with a mask. I had been meditating on the safety of close relatives in the medical world. I wanted to acknowledge these nurses, aids, and physicians as the courageous people on the front lines, persisting in spite of inadequate supplies and protective gear. I also thought about the many people of color in my family and community who are disproportionately hard-hit by this pandemic. My painting is about the fear, vulnerability, and resolve in the eyes of a female medical worker.”
Please include a link to my website: https://www.sophiesanders.art/
Gailenanna DeJong-Dougherty
Greetings from Philadelphia.
I am currently hanging in with 2 teenage boys and some paint.
These works are my current works during covid- 19.
Recently widowed and now trying to keep my sanity in yet another Unexpected change.
@gdejong18 (instagram)
ItstyBitsty via Gailenanna DeJong-Dougherty on facebook.
I am really technologically challenged.
So, here are my submissions.
Hope i did it right
Manuela Benaim
This piece conveys my desperation for the human touch. These hands are the first art piece I created during Covid-19 self-isolation. My friend and I stood 6 ft apart and finally held each other’s hand. This rebellious yet safe act tasted bittersweet, in a bitter situation that we all get to savor. Stay safe, find ways to feel connected. Don’t isolate yourself.
Website:Manuelabenaim.com
Instagram:@mangobenaim
Andrew Wohl
“The two face masks illustrate both the determination to stay healthy and the resignation that we might all become infected. The “Barbed Wire” mask represents the desire to ward off the virus while the “Virus” mask represents the fact that we are all exposed.
By the way, both of these masks are available at https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/andrew-wohl?tab=artworkgalleries&artworkgalleryid=911397
Constance Culpepper
My work is a narrative on personal space and perspective. I reenvision what surrounds me – household belongings intertwined with geometric and organic patterns to craft a narrative about domestic life and its inhabitants. I use figures and vibrantly colored furnishings as the subjects of my artwork to remind us that we are creatures of nature and habit, never truly free from expectations of and longings for home. With more than 60 million displaced people in the world today, the universality of this desire for shelter, acceptance, comfort, and stability is more pressing than ever. Differences in race, culture and socio-economic status, however, leave each of us with a unique idea of what constitutes home. Yet across these perspectives, the female is a constant. I explore the role of women in this domain.
Alan Lankin
I am lucky to be able to work from home and to have a space in my house to work on my art. My practice normally involves painting and works on paper. I live just outside of Philadelphia.
My routine doesn’t seem to have changed much, but being unable to get out of the house, to see other people, to look at art as well as uncertainty about what the future will bring have made it hard to focus. It has been easier to concentrate on smaller works, so rather than painting, I have mostly been experimenting with small mixed media works on paper.
Here are images of a studio wall and a work on paper. You can see more of my work on Instagram, Facebook or on my website.
