In some ways, lockdowns were a 'dystopian' time for artist Jaq Grantford, but they also brought her a kind of peace, which is reflected in her painting titled 2020.
Melbourne artist Jaq Grantford experienced a kind of "guilty pleasure" during the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020-21."We were in a time when you couldn't travel interstate to see family friends," she said."It was quite a frightening time."She found the lockdowns gave her peace and space to make art.
The piece, titled 2020, shows Grantford with hands over the bottom half of her face, representing the masks that became omnipresent during the pandemic. "Even though it's the same person, I feel like I've changed and grown and there's been a lot of things that have happened. Gallery director Karen Quinlan said in addition to its mastery, the self-portrait was also a "stark reminder to us all about the impacts of the pandemic, the various states of mind that we all experienced during and post, and that reality we were all faced with".
"I live in Melbourne and have spent the last two years isolating during the pandemic," Sowersby said. Another is a painting of a paramedic, James Graham, who took up the profession after he himself required medical care from an ambulance crew.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
'I dedicate her to the mothers that serve': Portrait of breastfeeding servicewoman wins Defence art prizeA portrait portraying the conflict between being a mother and an Army service member has won a prestigious art prize, run by the Australian War Memorial.
Read more »
Australian research finds effects of loneliness during Covid lockdowns ‘substantial and uneven’People on low incomes, had disabilities or who were carers were less likely to recover quickly post-lockdown, study shows
Read more »
Two minutes with Danny Katz: The calculated risks of allocated cinema seatingTwo minutes with Danny Katz: The calculated risks of allocated cinema seating | goodweekendmag
Read more »
Sydney limo driver ‘couldn’t cope with the stress’ after sparking COVID outbreak, lockdownA year after lockdown began, Michael Podgoetsky - also known as the limo driver who was patient zero - says he still thinks about the controversy every day.
Read more »
Xi’s dilemma: The unvaccinated elderly keeping COVID-zero China in lockdownsChina, the country where COVID-19 was first detected, still has more than 90 million people aged over 60 who are under-vaccinated.
Read more »
Lockdowns spark signs of defiance among China’s restless youthThe pressure and stress of day-to-day living has led to the rise of a “lying flat” (tangping) movement — a rejection of hyper-competition and consumerism. | OPINION by Yun Jiang
Read more »