How 10 Artists Are Staying Creative through COVID-19
by Scott Indrisek
How else to describe these past few weeks other than surreal? Seemingly overnight, the entire fabric of daily life has been turned upside down. And yet—between trying to order groceries online and refreshing the New York Times homepage—it’s important that we keep ourselves optimistic, energized, and entertained (and, perhaps, a little distracted).
For help in this department, we decided to turn to artists to see how they’re faring during this crisis. As many of them mentioned, a certain amount of “social distancing” was already a part of their routine, with long days spent in the studio. But how are they coping with the broader effects of COVID-19? And what sort of things are they doing to keep their spirits up in these anxious times?
Heidi Hahn
“Two weeks ago, I had a lot of deadlines and no time,” Hahn said. “Now, I have time and no real deadlines.” She recently opened a solo exhibition at Nathalie Karg Gallery in New York and while the gallery is currently closed, the show has been extended until further notice. How does an artist keep going when the gallery system that supports her seems on the verge of temporary collapse? “I think the only benefit of this is that it’s a reset, a reprieve of the expectations the art market puts on artists to produce, to have to share everything we make,” she added. “I’m fine making work in my own bubble because I make it for myself, regardless of if I show it or not.”
Of course, making things you love, for their own sake, doesn’t pay your monthly rent. Beyond the precariousness of the current art market, Hahn’s role as an assistant professor at Alfred University has been thrown into disarray. All classes are now being held virtually. “How do I teach painting to students living at home without any studios or supplies?” she pondered. “This is something that I’m working on now: teaching painting without paint.”
In terms of the media Hahn is consuming during these anxious days, she’s looking for “things that have strict parameters and are devoid of adventure.” Her literary picks include: My Year of Rest and Relaxation, by Ottessa Moshfegh; the collected works of Jean Rhys, “because she is stuck in emotional prison, so her surroundings are blurred and sequestered from pleasure”; Yoko Tawada’s The Emissary; and books by Banana Yoshimoto, Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, and Kazou Ishiguro. “For some reason Japanese literature soothes me, even when it’s translated,” she offered. “I think it’s the elegance of their language structure.”
Hahn also recommends checking out interviews with Fran Lebowitz on YouTube (“her attitude inspires me”) and said that she can glean something productive from even the worst movies (“I learn from the things I dislike”). Social distancing, she added, can also have its upsides. “I don’t mind being bored, I’ve gotten really good at it,” Hahn said. “It slows time and you can really just observe everything—which is good for being a sort of representational painter.”