I worked on my grandmothers portrait again. I think it’s going to take me a lot longer than I originally expected. Maybe I’m being perfectionistic, I don’t know, but since I myself have been looking at this portrait all my life, I’d like it to be the way I remember it. For now I’ll work on it until I’m happy with it.
I went to the Central Branch Library a few weeks ago to see if they would let me hang my paintings in their gallery. I got an email a few days later letting me know that I could fill out an application. So, I will do that soon. In a way it kind of relieves me to get back to doing other kinds of paintings instead of always being focused on library paintings. I’ve got two urban landscapes I started a few months ago that I’d like to finish.
My project isn’t just libraries. I’m interested in historical churches, courthouses, and universities. I’m fascinated with these buildings but also the institutions themselves. Life is changing so much, and brick and mortar buildings are increasingly becoming less and less central to our lives. We are doing everything online. I checked the status of my voter registration online the other day and cringed at the thought of having to go to a courthouse.
With the pandemic we do even more online than we used to. When I was looking for a podcast to listen to this morning I noticed both Ten Percent Happier and The Ezra Klein Show had episodes about working remotely. One guest was in favor of it, the other wasn’t. Zoom has made staying connected so convenient. I’d still be having my groceries delivered if they didn’t charge so much.
But in the past, before the internet, before the pandemic, libraries, churches, courthouses, and universities were where we went to ask the big questions in life. They were where we congregated. Where we met people. Where we discussed the issues that deeply effected our lives. We put time into their design and how that design would effect people emotionally and psychologically. How is all that going to change as we move forward?
What I’ve discovered as a painter is that people (for the most part) buy original art they can physically stand in front of. Most of the artists I’ve spoken to say that they have not had success selling art online. There will continue to be things that people do out of the house. I ordered my groceries online when COVID was bad but I’ve heard so many people say that they can’t stand the thought of someone else picking out their produce. But much of our lives happen more and more on the phone or some kind of device.
I still want to acknowledge these buildings. My hope is that as the dust settles we find ways to be together that make up for the things technology is taking away. Cell phones and computer screens make things more convenient, but where do we meet? Where do we congregate? Where is the space in which we come together to be a connected society or community? Social media? That can’t be the answer.