Art is essential | Virtual Exhibition
A group Virtual Exhibition curated by Melissa Moskowitz
“Covidica” by Victor Atkins
“Covidica” is a large 6’x8’ painting, done by hand in acrylic paint on canvas. “I painted it as my reaction - as well as my response - to what’s happening in the world today.”
“In “Covidica” I use brilliant color and geometric structures to form confounding illusions. There’s a tension of space and form as a metaphor of the temporal, while also giving the viewer an invitation to the infinite that waits beyond. I live in Pasadena which is a truly beautiful place, but it is my contention that perhaps there exists a real and greater beauty and place of eternal peace. I can think of no better moment than now to explore this paradigm.”
- Victor Atkins
"My name is Matthew Gilbert and I will be graduating UCLA in a few weeks. I began this songwriting project as an attempt to write a song for every person in the world, knowing that I would inevitably fail. You'll notice that almost every song is named after a person; it's because I write songs that only one person will understand. They're not about someone, they're for someone. My songwriting process is as much about listening and getting to know people as it is about sitting down and composing something. We hear people say all the time, 'I love that song!' but I wanted to try to write songs that love us back."
- Matthew Gilbert
“36 days of type” by amy fang
“36 Days of Type” is an annual call for artists and designers to creatively interpret the letters of the alphabet. Each day we are challenged to submit a different letter or number. I've always had a passion for illustration and typography, but I've never had the time before COVID isolation to actually take on this challenge. In my “36 Days of Type” series this year, different letters are intertwined with each other to display our connectedness. Although it has been more difficult for me to create work from home, I've been able to strengthen my relationships in online art and design communities, and remember why I create.”
- Amy Fang
Self Portraits by Shelby montelongo
“There is something significant about people-in-isolation expressing their deepest opinions, while at the same time doing the bare minimum. Productivity runs a broad spectrum. Someone might bake ten loaves of banana bread in a week, but it’s out of a frenzy of restlessness. For me, most of my days have been spent in a fog. Art - the very breath in my lungs - has become the last thing on my mind. I have been living the bare minimum. But one day I gathered every ounce of energy I had and photographed these self-portraits. They remind me of the beauty and creativity that fight to exist and then emerge in a broken world. When the voice of your anxiety grows from a small whisper into incessant shouting, you realize that art is for you. It serves as an escape but later becomes an act of recovery. May we all find healing after this time of COVID-19.”
- Shelby Montelongo
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Sasha Netchaev
Being in isolation is a rather funny dichotomy. On the one hand, our experiences in the outside world that once fueled our artistry have been taken away from us. Yet – simultaneously - we now have all the time in the world to be introspective and cherish details we never really paid attention to before. The silver lining of this entire experience is being able to really slow down and marinate in each moment - noticing how the natural light shifts over objects and spaces at different times of the day, altering the mood, creating a new sense of beauty, dimension, depth, and rich-colored hues. I love being able to shape natural light sources to isolate subjects in compositions and bring attention to everyday moments that we often take for granted.
-Sasha Netchaev
“Royce Hall on the UCLA campus was designed with 52 architectural imperfections. Its two towers are an abstract reference to those of the Abbey Church of Sant’Ambrogio in Milan. I’ve spent much time staring up at the beautiful brick building, trying to spot all the imperfections. For me, they evoke a sense of wonder, making Royce all the more majestic. My rendition through embroidery certainly has more than 52 imperfections, but this reminds me that imperfection has its own beauty. Due to this unexpected season, I had to leave Westwood. I have lamented the loss of spending time in the place I’ve come to call home, but in embroidering this piece I am reminded that life has never been perfect – yet it continues to be beautiful!