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On using creative work to capture pandemics, such as HIV and AIDS, and the Coronavirus pandemic
Oftentimes in life we have to face extreme situations–man- or nature-made–that, in turn, force us to look at life through a new lens, and compel us to capture the experience for ourselves and for those who come after us.
It’s not unusual for creatives to inspiration in these kinds of experiences; after all, they can be life-changers, for better or for worse. Take the HIV and AIDS pandemic, for example. Many works of art and activist art have been inspired by that ongoing pandemic, in particular when at its height. A few examples come to mind: plays (some then made into movies) like Angels in America, RENT; also, the AIDS quilt; activist art like Silence = Death and other posters; books by AIDS-journalists like Randy Shilts and, more recently, other authors; or visual art work by award-winning photographers like Kurt Weston, and so on.
Fast-forward to 2020, when we’re faced with yet another extreme situation–the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. The experience of trying to make it out of it alive, of surviving this particular never-ending pandemic has also inspired and compelled many creatives to capture it–in words, images, moving images, and other art forms.
While I wasn’t here during the eighties and early nineties, to capture the dark years of HIV and AIDS, I’m here today, during the not-so-bright days of Coronavirus and Covid-19, and I’d like to share a few images I’ve captured so far in this post:
[read more at https://alinaoswald.com/2020/07/21/coronavirus-inspired-creative-work/
