Submitted by: Oliver Tiura
Materials: Plied wood; PMMA
What ARE artist’s are doing in this Pandemic? For artists there never is any time off from work. Diversions, yes, scheduling changes, yes, materials shortage, yes, but no “holidays”. As a sculptor, I’m continuing to work toward my next solo show at the Neilson Park Creative Centre here in Toronto, coming up soon [next year], so no changes there, no work stoppages.
Though, artists are very sensitive to the changing zeitgeist, now psychologically off balance. It seems that the world can be parsed out toward two divisions about this pandemic. A simplistic way is that some are immersed in mechanical processes in figuring things out and, those who were in the more organic side. Though all is not clearly splittable, the more metrically inclined part concentrates on the numbers assigned to everything, cases, deaths, tracing, ICUs, research labs, vaccinations, specific cures, intubations, etc.
AND, those who were interested in the more humanistic, more organic world around us, in how we are living in the new normal, getting our food, how viruses invade the body, seniors homes, what do people look like in various masks, love, and all about those enlivening, visually engaging walks you used to take in the parks to see the apple blossoms.
The above thoughts distracted me enough to give these two interesting types of groupings a reality. Two sculptural expressions resulted, seen here.
