During the coronavirus pandemic, Art Spiel is reaching out to artists to learn how they are coping.
David Borawski with his work You go forward I go backward somewhere we will meet, 2020, in the exhibition Mill St. in New Haven. Photo by Peter Brown.
David Borawski is a multi-media installation artist and an independent curator living and working in Hartford, Connecticut. His artistic practice is comprised of sculpture, video, drawing and digital prints. Conceptually driven, the work reflects upon pop culture, radical politics, art history and the dark alleys of society while drawing upon lived personal experience.
Recent solo installations include the Pegasus Gallery at MxCC, EBK Gallery and Five Points Gallery in Connecticut. Group exhibitions include Portal: Governors Island, Spring Break Art Show, Hewitt Gallery and Odetta in New York, and Galleria Foksal in Warsaw.
AS: How are you coping?
DB: Its tough, but I’m using time off from my jobs at the Real Art Ways (curatorial adviser) and the Wadsworth Atheneum (preparator) to get to the studio more. Luckily for me its only a block away from my home.
Let the Good Times Roll, 2020, digital video, PVC, nylon flags. Photo by Peter Brown.
AS: Has your routine changed?
DB: Absolutely. I don’t have to get up at the same time each day, although I may start that again just for continuity. I also find myself checking the refrigerator more often than I should.
The Annihilation of Space and Time, 2019, digital image on vinyl, 60×60”.Photo by the artist.
AS: Can you describe some of your feelings about all this?
DB: Very mixed. I read an article equating this to grieving, and I believe it. Some anger, some sadness, a lot of denial in the beginning too. I have two children living on the west coast, so that is on my mind a lot. I had booked a trip to San Diego to see my son and had to cancel. Really bummed me out.
The Time of Our Time Has Come and Gone, 2018, gaffers tape on floor. Photo by the artist.
AS: What matters most right now?
DB: Staying healthy, safe and centered is what I am most focused on. I hope efforts to flatten the curve as they call it are effective. I hope the death toll doesn’t get so high people fall into despair. I really hope we can dig out of this financially.
Bars and Stripes, 2018, cotton flag, aluminum pole. Photo by the artist.
AS: Any thoughts about the road ahead?
DB: When this has passed, and I do believe it will, I hope we all have a deeper compassion for each other. More compassion for those we neglected or took for granted. This has shined a light on the real value of many unseen jobs and workers which have become so important now, and those which we miss badly. I know I will.
(untitled as yet), 2020, LED lights and fixtures, plastic bags and chain, cotton flags. Photo by the artist.
Etty Yaniv works on her art, art writing and curatorial projects in Brooklyn. She founded Art Spiel as a platform for highlighting the work of contemporary artists, including art reviews, studio visits, interviews with artists, curators, and gallerists. For more details contact by Email: artspielblog@gmail.com