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Day 3: Contribute To

published on 7 May 2021

Answering the question 'How has the pandemic changed the way you work?', the third day of the takeover illuminates to the multitude of ways in which the COVID-19 global pandemic has altered creatives' working lives and artistic process.

Answering the question 'How has the pandemic changed the way you work?', the third day of the takeover illuminates to the multitude of ways in which the COVID-19 global pandemic has altered creatives' working lives and artistic process.

How has the pandemic changed the way that you work?

Britt Lloyd contribute.to/brittlloyd

I have slowed down my process and really focused on taking my time and refining my images. I have also dived into the analogue world of photography, focusing on the process and craft of making an image.

Drag Syndrome contribute.to/dragsyndrome

We had to cancel a world tour and move everything online. We also had to delay a major collaboration.

Fecal Matter contribute.to/fecalmatter

The pandemic has made us more grateful and humble. Most of what we do now is similar to pre-pandemic times, as we were mainly selling direct-to-consumer and making our pieces independently. The main difference now is that we don’t experience those real-life connections with our community as much due to COVID. This keeps reminding us to be grateful for the memories of the past and pushes us to strive to re-experience the simplicity of the human experience in the near future.

Joseph Häxan contribute.to/josephhaxan

Fortunately during these times, I'm somewhat of a one-man show, so the practical impact of the pandemic has been fairly limited. I also live somewhere that handled the spread of the virus very well, and have only been locked down for three days in total - I consider myself very lucky because of that. I still feel the global impact though, and at the beginning of the pandemic last year I took quite a lot of inspiration from the feeling of quiet and aloneness I felt during the initial restrictions. An arts initiative called The Helpmann Academy announced a 'Stories of the Pandemic' film prize, so I made a film about a man named Tolf who lives a very dark and eremitical life in the forest alone. He narrates his own thoughts in the film, and he's losing his mind and slowly being introduced to this presence that wants something from him.

Metta Modernist contribute.to/mettamodernist

Honestly, this pandemic has allowed for large moments of reflection through mediation. It hasn’t changed the way I work, but it has helped me reconnect with my inner voice in a way that I haven’t quite felt since my early twenties. Incomprehensible as it may be, I learnt to breathe life into clay, bone and ash each day. Some days I experience many deaths, mourning with speechless desire, some days I feel hopeless, and maybe that’s okay. I won't know what happens next, and maybe that’s okay too. Today I still live within myself, reduced to incremental yesterdays, prepared for tomorrow.

Mimi Haddon contribute.to/mimihaddon

After the shock of the initial lockdown subsided a bit, I began working again. In terms of The Palace Wild costume book, I did not work with the collection for nearly one year as it was closed. But I had so much rich photographic material to work through; it was a gift of sorts. I am always trying to learn the stories behind the creatures that I document at The Palace. Over the summer I spent a few weeks taking some of my favourite images and painting small watercolours of them. It definitely felt like a time of meditation, when I could lose myself in the paint and the details of the characters. I also began taking a weekly writing workshop and have written stories or brief parables about the creatures, imagining what they have to teach us or share with us. Each character has special symbolism that is embedded within their clothing, posture, movement or subtle details. As I study them through the lens of archetypes and mythology, I see profound meanings, and their origins become more and more rich.

Ozabu contribute.to/ozabu

I always draw alone at home. It's good under this pandemic, but most of the exhibits have become virtual shows, so it's difficult to see the work in person. I strongly think it doesn't makes sense to attend a show if can't see the work in person, so I was mentally cornered. I cancelled all my scheduled shows. But, there are many things I have experienced because of this pandemic, so I would like to connect that to my future works.

Shalva Nikvashvili contribute.to/shalva

The pandemic has not really affected me. I follow my own rhythm, not the outside world.

Sinéad O’Dwyer contribute.to/sineadodwyer

Yes, it has made me ‘grow up’ a bit. I need to be more business-minded if I’m going to be able to move forward.

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