Grace Bilger

Grace Bilger lives in Guelph and studies at U of G where she is majoring in English and studio art with a minor in creative writing.

ARTWORK DESCRIPTION

For this piece, I wanted to address the pandemic as a whole and how the virus has begun to impact our identities. COVID-19 is constantly on our minds. We fear the virus, hoping that we can avoid it and hold out until we can receive a vaccine. If the worst case arises—such as contracting the virus—many are scared to imagine how it will affect their lives. They may feel slightly ill, or they may be reduced to a pile of wires, tubes, injections and antiseptics meant to keep their body alive; they become a virus-hybrid, bordering between human and medical.

This style was inspired by the cramped feeling of horror vacui and the abstract-surreal representations of Arcimboldo Giuseppe’s portraits from the 1500s. The title is a humorous nod to the royal traditions of the past. The Renaissance had Charles V immortalized as a ruling force in his portraits. In modern times, we will always remember COVID-XIX as our own tyrannic king.

The past was ruled by a crown. We are ruled by corona.

COVID-XIX, 11 x 14 inches, Prismacolor pencil crayons on paper COVID-XIX, details COVID-XIX, details

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