Interview By Maia Poon
Art in all its forms is so essential for our emotional wellbeing, learning about others’ lives, and sharing our own stories. Especially now, with June 2020 being Pride Month, a pivotal moment for the Black Lives Matter movement, and in the midst of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the role of art is shifting but more important than ever. I had the opportunity to provide a platform for multidisciplinary artists and writers through online interviews, and they each had something unique to share. Keep creating!
Georgia Major
she/her
Photographer
@kineticsandcastle
Welland, Ontario, Canada
1. Do you feel more or less connected to your art during social isolation?
I know a lot of artists who have used this time during the pandemic to really focus in on their art, or who have used it as a way of coping. But for me, this time of isolation has taken quite a hit to my relationship with photography. When I’m working on a new idea it always involves others, I like to bounce ideas off people and a lot of back and forth usually goes on while I’m shooting portraits. What could have pushed me out of my comfort zone just left me discouraged instead.
2. Have you seen any noticeable changes in the subjects of your art?
The subjects of my art have certainly changed due to the circumstances. At first, that meant trying and failing at capturing non-human subjects and then it slowly opened back up to the people closest to me. Shooting with a limited selection of people has really pushed me to think of ways to get many different outcomes out of limited resources.
3. Why is art important right now, with the pandemic and civil unrest around the world?
I think art is especially important right now in so many ways, from the art that gets important information noticed by social media algorithms to the art that offers a temporary sanctuary to relax into the beauty of creativity.
4. How can art be used to share typically marginalized voices?
Although I am not a part of any marginalized communities, something I’ve noticed with art is how effective it can be in opening people up to new experiences. That can either be in a less upfront way drawing you in with an appealing work or by forcing people to confront ideas and emotions they may never have reached unprompted.