THE ART OF SOCIAL DISTANCE
Like any other person in self-employment, the Covid-19 pandemic has affected my business massively. The art community has been hit particularly hard. Galleries and museums around the world are closed and exhibitions have been postponed for an indefinite time.
I recently returned from London, where much of my regular paid work, like that of many artists, was in hospitality, but that is no longer an option. Art institutions received bailouts of millions to keep them afloat but what happens to the artists, many of whom already live hand to mouth?
There’s a ripple effect, and it’s made even more complicated by our new reality. There is despair and uncertainty facing all of us, and we have to put things in perspective: the world needs artists. We are creative thinkers, extremely resourceful and have the power to think differently. Because we work much of the time in solitude, we are quite useful in these strange times. This doesn’t mean we don’t struggle with the government lockdown but we are finding new ways to create, communicate and survive.
Artists on social media have started streaming live painting videos and online workshops. There is now a global initiative on Instagram with the tag #ArtistSupportPledge where artists offer work for sale for £200 or less, and when they reach £1000 they pledge to buy the work of another artist to generate a small but necessary economy. £9 million worth of art was sold in the first week since artist Matthew Burrows started the project.
If you’re an artist who wants to make some sales or generate income from your work in any capacity, get online. It looks like that is the only way for the moment.
In a time where everything in the world seems scary, maybe we can find solace and escape in a painting or a sculpture as we would in a film or a book. If you can’t afford to invest in an artwork, you can now virtually wander around museums all over the world. A screen will not duplicate the experience of being there, but may enhance a curiosity for the freedom we had before the shit hit the fan, and make people realise how important art is. The world has opened up in a different way in recent weeks, and it’s incredible what technology has afforded us.
Nobody knows what the world will look like when we emerge from this pandemic, but I’m quite sure there will be a whole new movement in art, as artists work with what they have to make what they can.
The Arts Council has unveiled a €1 milliion Covid-19 fund to support the creation of new artistic work and its dissemination online. But I believe the scheme is shortsighted and underfunded. Governments and arts bodies in Germany, England and Wales have shown vision by investing €50 billion, £160 million and £7 million respectively to support their artists. The paltry amount of €1 million is a drop in the ocean by comparison and flies in the face of a recent acknowledgement by Minister Josepha Madigan ‘ that arts, culture and creativity will play an important role in bringing healing to the nation as we emerge from this unprecedented challenge.’ A tiny proportion of professional artists struggling to make ends meet ( just over 300) will be selected to create new work in 13 days, for €3,000 each, a figure that seems at odds with Arts Council’s #paytheartist campaign launched just a few weeks ago. No other sector has the capacity to deliver on creative challenges like the arts, but our hands are tied if we are expected to deliver quality work, in a rushed manner, and be paid little. And yet, it is in our nature to remain positive.