PARALLEL CHILDHOODS - 2021

Materials: Paper, vellum, board, ribbon, graphite

Size: 12.5" x 10"

For me, one of the most shocking visuals of COVID is seeing little children in their parents arms wearing masks. Reading about the 1918 epidemic I realized this was not unprecedented so I created a visual dialogue between children of 2020 and 1918. I used both antique, contemporary images, drawing.

This photo was taken in a studio, most likely approximately during the time of the Spanish Influenza. Since it’s a formal photo there was no indication of the pandemic so I added contemporary style masks to make a connection to 2020. They appear to be affluent children so I gave them a pet cat (also wearing a mask which apparently was done back then) and bird, as well as a balloon. But the balloon is a covid cell to symbolize that the flu shows no deference to privilege. In the background I arranged a diverse group of today’s children in a grid like the way they’re experiencing their education via zoom, little masked faces in boxes.