letters from the pandemic #1 March 26 2020

Perception of time is an uncanny thing, which we all have experienced time and again, some action packed days seem to last a life time while others spent in front of a screen, binge watching TV Series on NetFlix are gone in a blink of an eye.

It has been just 21 days since the opening of the ‘art on paper’ fair to which I sent invitations to you in my last e-mail and it appears to me that it happened in a different age.

Social Distancing, closure of all non-essential business venues, collapse of the stock market, self quarantine - the City that never sleeps is suddenly quite and the scene of eerie images. The Subway with empty cars at rush hour, Streets devoid of any traffic or people - closed off Theaters, Clubs, Bars, Operas, Museums and Galleries, all of this just unthinkable a mere 3 weeks ago.

The pandemic will pass, life will go on for most of us, but some things will most probably change for good. We’re living through another paradigm shift yet again.

There’s no way of predicting where this will lead to, only that we have to answer to the challenge of our humanity.

I thought it might be a good time for some self examination again and started to do some self-portraying again. This time in the small format, which I can do at home as well as in the studio, ink (mostly fountain pen) on paper, some washes and Japanese ink.

all drawings are 11 1/2 by 8 inches - I am currently in my 11th day of self imposed quarantine.