Alke Schmidt: Pandemic Spring

Alke Schmidt's work combines beautiful form with thought-provoking subject matter. Painting is often intertwined with the decorative patterns of found fabrics, stitch or print, selected for their historical, cultural or symbolic associations. Fusing the roles of the artist as maker and critical citizen, Alke uses the visually seductive qualities of her works to challenge contemporary social and environmental injustices.

               

"I began creating a visual diary on 1st April to explore the contrast between the human "Covid 19 world" and the natural world. I had been obsessing about coronavirus data - number of infections, deaths, etc - and at the same time had a vague idea about doing a daily drawing during lockdown, even though I was supposed to be working on new paintings and sculptures for a forthcoming solo show in Sweden. I was struck by the contrast between the grim virus statistics and the beautiful, life-affirming signs of spring everywhere in nature, so the idea for 'Pandemic Spring' came together really quickly.

Every day I printed off the latest graphs of confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths in 8, later 9 countries (UK, USA, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, South Korea, China, plus later Brazil). Then I drew, over the printout, a plant  I saw emerging in our garden, our neighbourhood or on our allotment.  These signs of spring were sources of hope, joy and pleasure, but also reminders that we must not go back to our old planet-destroying, unsustainable habits when the pandemic is over. 

The project gave a nice routine to my days and I found myself rather enjoying the drawing, to the extent that I neglected my other work. The weather was lovely and it was great to sit outside, and just be in the flow.  Drawing from observation is immediate, slow, calming, intimately connected to the subject and helps me understand the plants better. Drawing what I grow myself or find in my neighbourhood emphasizes local “roots” and connectedness. Drawing nature over time visualises that nature continues in its own rhythm while we remain in limbo.

From May, I continued this diary on a weekly basis because by then I really had to focus on my other projects - but I think doing the daily drawings in April helped me find the energy and discipline I needed to crack on with the other work. I was really missing the small and large real life interactions with other people during lockdown, and the diary helped me feel connected. It has had lovely feedback from other artists, galleries and curators, and led to new connections and discoveries."

Images of all the diary pages can be found on Alke's Instagram profile and on a dedicated gallery page on her website.

CuratorSpace are currently featuring articles by artists, curators and organisations who want to share their experiences of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, whether that is artists using their practice as a way of exploring new boundaries of isolation, or as a way to connect more broadly with their communities. We are also interested in hearing from curators and organisations who are offering support to artists and audiences during this time.

Contact us at louise@curatorspace.com to share your story.
 

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