For Kids
Art will survive any catastrophe, and people will survive with it. The energy of creation will never run out, and this is what will help us to keep our balance, not to lose heart during the destruction. The coronavirus has produced many, perhaps not professional, but remarkable works of art.
You can be an artist if you have a story that you want to share with the world. COVID-19 is a new experience for all of us, and every “survivor” has something to tell. Most people were convinced that they weren’t talented enough to create works of art, and were so afraid of failing that they didn’t even try. But many have discovered their hidden talents thanks to the lack of work during the quarantine and unexpectedly released time. For example, the famous Russian figure skater Evgenia Medvedeva, during her isolation, devoted her free time, so rare for athletes of this level, to her second hobby – art. Fans didn’t even know that she could draw, but Eugenia finally found the courage to show her art to the public.
For a self-taught Amateur artist who is a professional athlete, this result is simply incredible. I believe that such an example can inspire others to try their hand at art. Courage, patience and hope are at the heart of all creativity. Moreover, these qualities will help humanity survive the pandemic and find many creative solutions to restore peace and other branches of the world economy, in addition to art.
I think that after COVID-19, more versatile people will come to art, and there will be much more competition in this area. Standards in the art world will increase, so the work of artists will become better and more thoughtful. Just imagine what a masterpiece an artist can create, with the mindset and knowledge of a biologist! But for now, the art community is lying low, accumulating energy to hit the world with hundreds of exhibitions and amazing non-standard ideas after the virus.
The art of the coronavirus is very unpredictable, as is the world that generates it: it is impossible to predict what it will be like tomorrow. Today’s art is more about discovery than invention. Discoveries do not tolerate any restrictions, do not like to meet other people’s expectations and fit into deadlines. Artist Jess Johnson shares her thoughts on this issue: “So many artists, including me, create works of art, with the idea of an exhibition or career growth. Eliminating these original goals can give us the freedom to experiment and create as ‘people’ rather than as artists working in the commercial art world.” So, where did our experiments lead?
Life on canvas
The next type of “revived” creativity is reportage drawing, which is also called reflection, from the English word “reflect”. This is a quick sketch of what is happening around you, which can be done both outdoors and indoors. A reportage drawing is like a photograph that captures one fleeting moment: a certain pose, an interesting look. It differs only in that it is a more personal reflection of events, where you can see the artist’s opinion and his feelings towards the subject.
In self-isolation, people have a need to find new ways of entertainment. The idea of “reviving” and staging famous paintings quickly spread on the Internet.
This creative interpretation of Magritte’s work was posted in the Russian public group Izoizolyatsiya, which shocked Facebook with its often brilliant, animated paintings. Izoizolyatsiya appeared during the quarantine period in Russia, and now more than 500 thousand people around the world have joined it, having fun creating scenery and making costumes, or simply getting acquainted with new artists and paintings. Dozens of participants say that after such a meditative pastime, it becomes a little easier. Art helps to get rid of negative emotions, as it gives a sense of control over everything that happens: you can interpret the picture as you want. In addition, the practice of “reviving” paintings popularizes art and makes people more educated in this field.
Life around us
The next type of “revived” creativity is reportage drawing, which is also called reflection, from the English word “reflect”. This is a quick sketch of what is happening around you, which can be done both outdoors and indoors. A reportage drawing is like a photograph that captures one fleeting moment: a certain pose, an interesting look. It differs only in that it is a more personal reflection of events, where you can see the artist’s opinion and his feelings towards the subject.
This practice will continue to develop, because it is convenient for beginners. Reportage sketches can be drawn in less detail, besides, it does not require special professionalism. The creation process is fast, and everyone can set aside time for drawing on a daily basis. For example, now many artists are busy with children and household chores, but “reflections” can become one of the opportunities for them to continue drawing. The artist Francesca Dimattio, in an interview about her work during the quarantine, mentioned: “Motherhood and artistic practice are incompatible: both require both hands and attention»
Daily life
On the other hand, these two things can complement each other, transforming into something like “neo-COVID-impressionism”. The Impressionists of the 19th century depicted scenes from the everyday life of their century, while the modern genre will show our routine: cooking, caring for children or cleaning. And who knows and knows it better than our mothers? By the way, the Impressionists were the first to draw attention to the topic of hard work. Now the most common theme in art is “doctors fulfilling their mission”, and perhaps small sketches will soon turn into large canvases.
Where we live
Since artists are locked inside their homes, the interior (furniture, design) has become the center of their compositions. It is particularly interesting how the graffiti artist Banksy used the space of his bathroom for a work called “rats in the bathroom”, having lost the opportunity to paint on the streets.
“Remember they can’t cancel spring” is one of 10 landscapes in David Hockney’s new collection of works. In these days of real chaos, it’s so nice to see how everything goes on in nature. In the spring, when the daffodils bloom, death seems unreal. This leaves you with the question: who will eventually live longer? Us or nature? It seems that nature has infinite resources to evolve and regenerate. Do our blooming minds have the resources to create?
What are the materials?
Despite the fact that David Hockney is now 82 years old, he has managed to comprehend modern drawing methods. His work described above was created on the iPad and is an amazing combination of new and old. I think that the world will follow the same path: nature will regain its importance for us, but, nevertheless, in the future, modern technologies will prevail.
Now many artists are running out of materials to work with: they can’t get everything they need because of the crisis. Also, it is now impossible to get to art studios, where there are tools and space that every artist needs. However, digital space is available at all times, and many artists are switching from paper and paint to graphic tablets. This new trend will require the re-equipment of museums.
The canvases will be replaced by monitors displaying digital paintings. Now such creativity is underestimated by expert critics and is not considered “serious”. But digital art has a big advantage. It will reduce the cost of visiting museums, as the paintings will take up less space: the images on the monitors can change depending on the desire of the observer. In addition, delivery and installation will no longer be required. An online exhibition will be held more often so that the art will become more accessible. Almost everyone will be able to enjoy it!
Not only nature and digital art, but also ordinary things that we have not noticed before, will acquire new value for humanity. The lack of materials forced the artists to look for a way out of the situation. For example, creating collages from waste paper is a great way to reutilize paper.
Pills, buttons, trash and dozens of other things have a chance to live a second life, turning into stunning mosaics. A mosaic of garbage can be created to make people aware of pollution.
I believe that art can be a much more effective and powerful tool for expressing one’s own opinion than violent protests and demonstrations. The question is, what can our art change?
What is the goal?
Art makes information more understandable and easy to understand. That is why it will conquer our world, permeating all areas of our lives, from school textbooks to official documents,and the demand for it will grow. Just look at how the Ministry of culture of Ukraine decided to remind people about the protection measures against COVID-19:
Ministry of culture of Ukraine
This funny poster is more likely to make people follow the rules than boring texts. Plus, this approach supports the art industry, which is going through difficult times. There are many initiatives aimed at this. For example, artist Eric Fischl created a limited collection of prints to help the closed new York Academy of Art. There are many sources where artists can make donations to support their colleagues and art galleries.
People will not survive without art-spiritual food-as well as without ordinary food. If artists abandoned their easels to work in the fields of Economics, health care or law, the world would become boring and dull! People, on the contrary, should strive to make art accessible to everyone.