Description of Work

Face It - 2020 - Adobe Photoshop, After Effects, and Animate - Not for Sale

Artist's Statement

Face It is a modern-day memento mori animation with projection mapping and various multimedium elements intended to encourage personal reflection about the reality of Covid-19. Memento mori paintings became extremely popular in the seventeenth century in an age where everyone was preparing for the afterlife. They serve as a reminder of the inevitability of death and the passage of time. Many memento mori paintings are misunderstood by our current culture because we fear death and we either deny it or refuse to face it. In a similar way, people are in denial about the reality of Covid-19, and this includes the behavior necessary to halt its spread and rate of fatality. 

In light of conspiracy theories about the virus and various opinions regarding how people should be allowed to live their lives during this time, my multi-media piece Face It forces people to face the reality of our situation.

Painted in Photoshop and animated in After Effects, I created an animated modern-day memento mori with modified motifs from original examples. Flanking this animation are face masks with video projections that express the reality of Covid-19 from a social and cultural point of view. The goal is to remind my viewers that as time carries on, death by Covid-19 will continue until everyone does their part. I encourage my audience to listen closely to the testimonials, examine the installed elements, and to reflect on their own experiences during this difficult time.

Link to Artist's Website

If you wish to purchase any of these pieces, please contact the gallery director, Jacqueline Nathan (jnathan@bgsu.edu.)