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What the pandemic has taught me about art and being an artist.

Most would agree that art is best experienced live, whether it is 3-dimensional or is visually tactile if 2-dimensional. On-line virtual exhibits leave much to be desired. This, however has attempted to keep artists and lovers of art connected during the fifteen months (depending how you count it) of pandemic lockdown. I appreciate the efforts that have gone into making it happen and I have participated in some of these locally. One was at the Burnett Gallery of the Jones Library in Amherst, MA and the other at the Gateway City Arts Gallery in Holyoke, MA. Unfortunately, there is little to no feedback on how these exhibits were received. Now that the constant threat of the pandemic has eased, I am feeling more hopeful for “live art” again.

I participated in the Windows Into Art in Amherst, which is exhibit space in commercial windows in the downtown for the summer months of June through August.  I have a tall sculpture “Enredadera” in the new Mexcalito restaurant. This was accompanied by an afternoon on the Amherst  Common, celebrating art and music. While there, I came to realize the importance of not only displaying “live art” but being able to share, in person, the ideas and the process that go into a piece. Art is now personalized and meaningful, not only for the viewer but for the artist.

Three cheers for reality art.

What strange times we are living in – even in the art world.

I can buy bananas at 59 cents a pound, but if I tape it to a wall, it’s value goes up to $120,000 for a single banana. It’s buyers at Art Basel, Miami placed it in the category of Andy Warhol’s “Campbell‘s Soup Can”. Of course it needs to be changed every few days to preserve its freshness and color. I also wonder if the buyer actually ate that banana before replacing it.

However, for those who can’t make it to Miami’s annual festival, there is a DIY option. Try a banana which can be purchased for $3.19 at a craft store that guarantees non-perishability. Or expand your repertoire to include other fruits and vegetables. Duct tape now comes in terrific colors and designs.

But, if your taste in art leans to the more traditional, be assured that all of my works can be had for less than $120,000.

We’re back in Damariscotta. The trip up form Massachusetts was a breeze with little traffic on the roads. Now we are under a 14-day quarantine. That’s OK, because the weather is gorgeous. There is lots to do around the house and grounds. The grass is growing like mad. There’s a garden to plant; we will need it this year. There is time to get organized like never before. And I thinking about what to do with wooden pieces I have brought up from Amherst. There will be plenty of time to work on it.