window with shutters
I recently presented a few drafts and sketches, ideas that should flow into my next exhibition on the subject of Covid-19. They were largely abstract. (The earlier designs also have windows as their main subject, but in a more self-centered way). I was very pleased with the feedback, as it helped me to reflect on the topic better. Thank you!
The abstract moment will certainly be the focus of the exhibition, but it made sense to me to start with a more realistic approach. Because that seems more difficult to me. Why? Presenting a latent danger, threat, isolation, and withdrawal …… in a realistic context as far as possible, without going into superficial aspects such as buying hamsters or hypodermic needles is an exciting challenge.
The design that I am presenting today is the second attempt with the same motif: a small detail of a basically idyllic scene, essentially just a window of an older house in the country – “where the world is still all right”. Solid stone masonry implies the strength, and robust window shutters hold out threats and offer additional protection. Like a beam from a flashlight, a light from nowhere points to this window.
Outside the (still) protected world, there is a lot of activity. Indefinable forces on the right-hand side and imaginative structures in the left half of the picture seduce the imagination, lure with a floral touch, and at the same time have a subliminal frightening effect.
Originally, I wanted to focus more on the microscopic representations of the Covid-19 viruses. We have all imprinted them in our consciousness, those fascinating structures presented in beautiful colors, but that struck me as too banal. The same goes for the original idea of positioning a human silhouette behind the window.
Certainly, the picture has flaws and I’ll probably make one or two corrections when I’ve gained a little distance from the work, but the basic idea seems to me to be quite good because it allows the viewer to generalize about our society, to reflect on the situation, a pattern that goes beyond the phenomenon of Covid-19: We hide behind solid walls in the hope of protecting ourselves from the new challenges or not having to face them. Politicians who promise protection are gaining popularity and companies specializing in security issues are booming like never before.
Another aspect may have helped shape the idea for this picture: I recently read in a report that, for example, children in the USA spend 94% of their time indoors (including time spent in cars). And in other western countries, the numbers are similar…..
Earlier drafts for Covid-19 series: COVID-19 Series
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