Seventeenth International Conference on the Arts in Society

Abstract

The world has experienced social anxiety caused by the coronavirus starting in 2019. Several countries choose the lockdown, border closures, and social distancing to keep COVID at bay. After two years of havoc, the ever-evolving virus is still with us. The overwhelming/false information, financial pressure, and social isolation impact people’s mental health in all dimensions. The Amaranthine Lamentation series concretizes the abstract ideas of worries, fears, and anxiety living with the pandemic through red painted-face girls, symbolizing emotions and sentiments. The four images center around four keywords: 1. Lamentation: Many people experienced grief and loss caused by COVID. The image illustrates deaths using ill and deceased animals as metaphors, grieved by nurses in black. 2. Levitation: Traveling has been a challenge related to health safety, closed borders, and flight cancellations. The author communicates the idea using an oxymoron of a floating elephant balloon carrying a young girl in the sky. 3. Isolation: Most countries select home isolation and social distancing as the top priority to control COVID. This picture depicts a tea party reflecting social distancing when everyone sits apart in the witch’s’ circles. 4. Anticipation: We may not eradicate COVID, but we hope life will return to normal shortly. The last image portrays a flower growing from a deceased body signifying the ray of hope. The author’s art blends daily societal issues with computer graphics emulating the works of old masters. The images are created digitally in advanced 3D software called 3dsMax and printed on canvas.