Back in July, I was invited by the Spencer Museum of Art to share how (and what) I was doing during the pandemic. I was one of a group of artists from near and far who reflected on the current moment in whatever way they chose. You can see what all of the artists shared here in this on-line exhibition. My submission is also included below.
I’m feeling my sense of time collapse. The self-imposed isolation of my youth met with the mandated isolation of now. The uncertainty of my 20’s when I didn’t know if I’d ever make a living as an artist met with the renewed uncertainty if I ever will again. The stories and discoveries of my childhood gloriously revisited with my three-year old son.
I’m waiting for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.
I’m looking for the visible signs of an invisible force. Like the energy we can detect being gobbled up around a collapsed star, I am searching for evidence along the periphery.
I’m wondering how my mom is, since I haven’t been able to visit her in four months.
I’m making adjustments, additions, subtractions, enhancements and tributes to mark the time and hopefully bring some joy and interest to passersby.
I’m reading a book about forgetting by Lewis Hyde
I’m trying to forget.
I’m hoping that we have the courage and will to make things better.
I’m working on Between the Rock and a Hard Place, a mural on an old movie theater in Nebraska and an essay about the East 9th St. ArtPlace Project for a new book about creative placemaking.
I’m cutting my own hair.
I’m growing lots of vegetables and flowers.
And, I’m grateful for my friends and family, for the opportunity to continue making art and for the many brave healthcare and other essential workers carrying us upon their shoulders.
Dave Loewenstein
July 6, 2020