Links we’re loving: lessons from artists edition
Despite the pandemic, artists around the world are continuing to make exciting work. Here's a roundup of our favourite stories and lessons learned from the artistic front lines.
image courtesy of pexel.com
Back in June, we heard from celebrated Canadian author and historian Ross King, who reminded us that “the consolation of history is that we learn how good things — artistically, politically, socially — can often come out of bad situations.”
We’ve rounded up a few of these artistic “good things” from the last few months here:
What does a famous U.K. street artist do when he can’t get to his street? He works from home, like the rest of us. Check out Banksy’s bathroom wall here.
Sure, but what to do after you’ve painted everything in sight? Go microscopic. Centerse for Disease Control illustrators Alissa Eckert and Dan Higgens usedartistic license and digital modeling to learn how to draw the COVID-19 virus. Or go online. Tracy Emin’s first-ever virtual exhibition, I Thrive In Isolation, can be seen here. Or be like Maddy Matthews, and be inspired by the virtual landscapes found in video games.
Artists are proving that social distancing doesn’t mean an end to collaboration. Consider the Caulfield brothers — two professors at the University of Alberta — who came together to create artwork tackling fake news about COVID-19. Or graphic artist Shepard Fairly, who picked up the phone when the Mayor of Los Angeles called, asking how to get people to wear masks. Closer to home, four Toronto artists have come together to create Club Quarantine, the country’s hottest virtual queer dance party.
Thankfully, the call of the wild remains undiminished. Melding sea and sky, British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor’s solar-powered sculpture lights up (literally) the Museum of Underwater Art’s debut exhibition. A small group of Esquimalt artists turned to plein air painting as a way to stay connected during COVID-19, and Smithsonian Magazine asks “are outdoor sculpture parks having a moment in the sun?”
We hope you’re inspired by some of what you see here and continue to create and engage with arts and culture. The AGO is open to the public Thursdays through Sundays or you can continue to access AGO from Home and AGO.ca for stories, activities and events.
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