3 good reasons to stare at your phone
I hear constant scrolling through your social media feeds is bad for your mental health during quarantine — but that can’t be true, right? [snickering] I’m here to give you three exceptions to the rule. Feel free to use them when someone tries to pry the smartphone out of your hands.
Reason #1: When you need to force yourself to get fresh air and exercise
This is the view from my studio window, a la Vincent van Gogh. Art Transfer in the Google Arts & Culture app applies elements of famous artworks to the photo you upload. The result: now I have to go outside and take a walk, because I need to see how Vincent might’ve painted my neighborhood.
Reason #2: When you need help seeing the art in everyday life
Even though exercise really does help me feel better, there’s one thing I know: there will be days when it just isn’t going to happen. The Color Palette function uses colors in your photo to dig up artwork with a similar palette, sometimes with startling results. Come for the surprises, stay for the cheat-sheet (located in the upper left corner) you can use for redecorating or art-making.
Reason #3: When you’re doing a public service — providing a distraction
Some of you wouldn’t be caught dead taking a selfie, but look at it this way. Maybe your Art Selfie can help someone pull themselves out of an unhelpful mental spiral. This function’s been around for a few years, but back then it had a tendency to mis-gender women with short hair, especially women of color. Now Art Selfie seems to draw more data from many more museum collections, which would explain the improvement. Our Google overlords are not compensating me for this post (I’m sure I’m late to this party). But I’ll give them this: they seem to have hit on the timesuck we need right now.
Mothering in place
So where are you going for Mother’s Day brunch? [dies of bittersweet, mildly hysterical laughter]
This year, I’m redirecting my brunch money toward helping another artist, photographer Steven Miller. On the other side of this window, he made a photo of me as part of his Pandemic Portraits series, in which he shoots contact-free photos from an appropriate distance — communicating via cell phone. I know I’m not contributing make-or-break money to his bank account. But at least Steven is letting me help him, which is more than I can say for my eleven year-old when I try to help him with school work. Believe it or not, my teenager humors me more often.
He allowed me a little mother-son bonding time over deviled eggs the other day. Of course, he’s kinda stuck with me during quarantine. But I appreciate the chance to be a little more motherly and protective than usual during this uncertain time. When I’m not in the studio, of course.
Seattle Art Fair: Same time, next year?
This too shall pass, thanks to the pandemic. The 2020 Seattle Art Fair has been canceled.
I’ve enjoyed attending the fair every year; I go each day if I can. And this year, I’m making work for an exhibit that would’ve coincided with the fair dates. As far as I know, my show will go on. But who knows? The ‘Rona has dismantled a lot of plans since March.
Seattle Art Fair’s first year, 2015
Vulcan Arts + Entertainment runs the fair, and their announcement said they “look forward to a time when we can gather again to showcase the vibrant arts community here in the Pacific Northwest.” And that’s the billion-dollar question: when can we gather again for the fair — if we gather?
Right now, Vulcan A + E is busy renovating the Cinerama movie theater, among other projects. I’m just wondering if all that money out the door means the company will just call it a day for the Seattle Art Fair.