{"id":9451,"date":"2021-10-27T21:25:34","date_gmt":"2021-10-27T20:25:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=9451"},"modified":"2021-10-28T16:35:03","modified_gmt":"2021-10-28T15:35:03","slug":"how-uk-artists-depicted-the-covid-19-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/how-uk-artists-depicted-the-covid-19-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"How UK artists depicted the Covid-19 pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Times of upheaval have been the source of inspiration for some of the<\/em> <em>world\u2019s greatest pieces of art. As we emerge into a post-pandemic world, how are UK artists capturing one of the most unforgettable periods of the 21<sup>st<\/sup> century?<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tom Badley<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-1 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"768\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_05_Pump_It-768x768-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"9454\" class=\"wp-image-9454\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_05_Pump_It-768x768-2.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_05_Pump_It-768x768-2-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_05_Pump_It-768x768-2-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_05_Pump_It-768x768-2-293x293.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_05_Pump_It-768x768-2-390x390.jpg 390w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_05_Pump_It-768x768-2-585x585.jpg 585w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_05_Pump_It-768x768-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"9454\" class=\"wp-image-9454\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_05_Pump_It-768x768-2.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_05_Pump_It-768x768-2-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_05_Pump_It-768x768-2-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_05_Pump_It-768x768-2-293x293.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_05_Pump_It-768x768-2-390x390.jpg 390w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_05_Pump_It-768x768-2-585x585.jpg 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">&#8216;PUMP IT&#8217; (2020) by Tom Badley, courtesy of Tom Badley<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Memes, coronavirus, the stock market crash and the rise of cryptocurrency are what have defined the year 2020 for artist Tom Badley. Despite coming from a fine art background, Badley has become of the few \u2018cryptoartists\u2019 in the world today, using banknote and cryptocurrency-making techniques to create money-inspired art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Inspired by 2020\u2019s major themes and events, Badley created \u2018The Death of Luxury\u2019, a series of nine NFTs which are printed onto silk scarves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe whole artwork is about how traditional luxury stores, they felt the brunt of the pandemic because obviously, no one was going into the stores,\u201d he said. \u201cTraditionally luxury goods companies like Versace and people like this, they are terrible at maintaining an online presence. So, they were forced to be online.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_01_HODL-compressed-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"9456\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_01_HODL-compressed.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?attachment_id=9456\" class=\"wp-image-9456\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_01_HODL-compressed-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_01_HODL-compressed-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_01_HODL-compressed-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_01_HODL-compressed-770x770.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_01_HODL-compressed.jpg 1134w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_01_HODL-compressed-293x293.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_01_HODL-compressed-390x390.jpg 390w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_01_HODL-compressed-585x585.jpg 585w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_01_HODL-compressed-900x900.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_01_HODL-compressed-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"9456\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_01_HODL-compressed.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?attachment_id=9456\" class=\"wp-image-9456\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_01_HODL-compressed-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_01_HODL-compressed-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_01_HODL-compressed-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_01_HODL-compressed-770x770.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_01_HODL-compressed.jpg 1134w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_01_HODL-compressed-293x293.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_01_HODL-compressed-390x390.jpg 390w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_01_HODL-compressed-585x585.jpg 585w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_01_HODL-compressed-900x900.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">&#8216;HODL&#8217; (2020) courtesy of Tom Badley<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_03_Dow_Crash-compressed-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"9457\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_03_Dow_Crash-compressed.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?attachment_id=9457\" class=\"wp-image-9457\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_03_Dow_Crash-compressed-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_03_Dow_Crash-compressed-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_03_Dow_Crash-compressed-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_03_Dow_Crash-compressed-770x770.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_03_Dow_Crash-compressed.jpg 1134w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_03_Dow_Crash-compressed-293x293.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_03_Dow_Crash-compressed-390x390.jpg 390w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_03_Dow_Crash-compressed-585x585.jpg 585w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_03_Dow_Crash-compressed-900x900.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_03_Dow_Crash-compressed-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"9457\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_03_Dow_Crash-compressed.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?attachment_id=9457\" class=\"wp-image-9457\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_03_Dow_Crash-compressed-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_03_Dow_Crash-compressed-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_03_Dow_Crash-compressed-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_03_Dow_Crash-compressed-770x770.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_03_Dow_Crash-compressed.jpg 1134w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_03_Dow_Crash-compressed-293x293.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_03_Dow_Crash-compressed-390x390.jpg 390w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_03_Dow_Crash-compressed-585x585.jpg 585w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/TDOL_03_Dow_Crash-compressed-900x900.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">&#8216;Dow Crash&#8217; (2020) courtesy of Tom Badley<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Badley\u2019s use of NFT design is also significant too. NFT\u2019s, also known as \u2018non-fungible tokens\u2019 are digital assets which represent objects such as videos and art. Unlike other cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoins, NFT\u2019s are unable to be exchanged equally which has created digital scarcity. NFT\u2019s have seen a recent boom in the artworld as a way to create, sell and buy artwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis is the year in which Christie\u2019s and Sotheby\u2019s have held really high-profile auctions of digital assets,\u201d said Badley. \u201cSo, it was quite a prophetic artwork in that sense, because luxury did die and then it was forced to reinvent itself and become digital the next year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Iconic references to the pandemic are dotted throughout the nine works. The piece \u2018PUMP IT\u2019 features a cluster of coronavirus particles floating around the artwork. Badley also plays with references to popular and digital culture incorporating viral symbols such as \u2018Coffin Dance\u2019 meme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2018With the pandemic, obviously everyone was stuck and home,\u201d said Badley. \u201cEveryone is hyper-aware of the memes that are on their screen. A lot of those memes found their way into my artwork\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo pretty much when the market was crashing, and the pandemic was just coming in and governments were just responding to it, there was a meme going around of these coffin dancers. So that just captured the moment perfectly, because it was used whenever anyone failed and the whole world was failing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Melinda Matyas<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1008\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B1499-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9458\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B1499-copy.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B1499-copy-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B1499-copy-298x300.jpg 298w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B1499-copy-770x776.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B1499-copy-293x295.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1008\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B1499-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9458\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B1499-copy.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B1499-copy-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B1499-copy-298x300.jpg 298w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B1499-copy-770x776.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B1499-copy-293x295.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption>&#8216;Silent Distance&#8217; courtesy of Melinda Matyas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Melinda Matyas\u2019 art series \u2018Heroes behind closed doors\u2019 captures the hidden lives of everyday people, sheltering inside as the coronavirus spread. The London-based artist became intrigued by how differently people coped in times of crisis and how this often led to conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe rage, the hopelessness, the lack of self-composure showed up everywhere, in everyone,\u201d she said. \u201cPeople became more \u2018visible\u2019, showing their real nature in the face of adversity, and that is what really fascinated me throughout the pandemic, and this series was the outcome of that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As households were forced together like never before and as peoples\u2019 worlds became restricted to the four walls of their home, Matyas observed peoples\u2019 growing inability to communicate with one another. This became the inspiration behind the painting \u2018Silent Distance\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1002\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B1501c-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"9459\" data-link=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?attachment_id=9459\" class=\"wp-image-9459\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B1501c-copy.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B1501c-copy-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B1501c-copy-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B1501c-copy-770x772.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B1501c-copy-293x294.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B1501c-copy-390x390.jpg 390w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B1501c-copy-585x585.jpg 585w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1002\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B1501c-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"9459\" data-link=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?attachment_id=9459\" class=\"wp-image-9459\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B1501c-copy.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B1501c-copy-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B1501c-copy-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B1501c-copy-770x772.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B1501c-copy-293x294.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B1501c-copy-390x390.jpg 390w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B1501c-copy-585x585.jpg 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">&#8216;Breakfast Forever&#8217; (2020), courtesy of Melinda Matyas<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B2016-copy-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"9460\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B2016-copy.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?attachment_id=9460\" class=\"wp-image-9460\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B2016-copy-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B2016-copy-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B2016-copy-770x513.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B2016-copy.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B2016-copy-1155x770.jpg 1155w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B2016-copy-370x247.jpg 370w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B2016-copy-293x195.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B2016-copy-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"9460\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B2016-copy.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?attachment_id=9460\" class=\"wp-image-9460\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B2016-copy-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B2016-copy-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B2016-copy-770x513.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B2016-copy.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B2016-copy-1155x770.jpg 1155w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B2016-copy-370x247.jpg 370w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B2016-copy-293x195.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">&#8216;Rising Sun&#8217; (2020), courtesy of Melinda Matyas<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSilent distance represents three people, maybe friends, maybe a family, sitting at a table having dinner, but having nothing to say to each other, which shows what happens when they are forced to be in each other\u2019s presence for too long,\u201d said Matyas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Simon Hopkinson<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"477\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/IMG_7905.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9461\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/IMG_7905.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/IMG_7905-300x224.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/IMG_7905-293x218.jpeg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"477\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/IMG_7905.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9461\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/IMG_7905.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/IMG_7905-300x224.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/IMG_7905-293x218.jpeg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption>&#8216;Vax Utopia&#8217; (2021), courtesy of Simon Hopkinson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Simon Hopkinson has always been fascinated by some of the UK\u2019s forgotten places, locations where most wouldn\u2019t look twice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unafraid of dark and emotive material, the pandemic provided the Devon-based painter with new and compelling material. With a new boost of creative purpose, Hopkinson began painting the deserted scenes outside his home and documenting the UK\u2019s strange new reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe first one I did was started in February 2020 and finished before the first lockdown, and was intended as darkly mischievous,\u201d said Hopkinson. \u201cWhile many artists tried generating some optimism, for me the new landscape seemed to validate and encourage my taste for dystopian imagery.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hopkinson\u2019s piece \u2018Vax Utopia\u2019 depicts his view whilst waiting for the bus home after visiting his local vaccination centre, where an \u2018eerie post-normal feeling seemed to haunt the summer countryside,\u2019 he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"481\" height=\"481\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/IMG_7677-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9818\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/IMG_7677-1.jpeg 481w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/IMG_7677-1-100x100.jpeg 100w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/IMG_7677-1-300x300.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/IMG_7677-1-293x293.jpeg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/IMG_7677-1-390x390.jpeg 390w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 481px) 100vw, 481px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"481\" height=\"481\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/IMG_7677-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9818\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/IMG_7677-1.jpeg 481w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/IMG_7677-1-100x100.jpeg 100w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/IMG_7677-1-300x300.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/IMG_7677-1-293x293.jpeg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/IMG_7677-1-390x390.jpeg 390w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 481px) 100vw, 481px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The painting \u2018Stay Safe, Stay Apart\u2019 documents Hopkinson\u2019s first tentative return to public transport last April. He noticed a \u2018Stay Safe, Stay Apart\u2019 sign, just one of many other reminders of Covid plastered across public spaces. \u201cTogether with the hand and phone seemed like good material\u201d he said. \u201cThe sign seemed to have wider symbolic significance, bringing to mind other reasons apart from infection risk why people might want to avoid each other.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like many, one of Hopkinson\u2019s main reasons for leaving the house was to exercise, taking walks at night around the streets of Exeter. He began noticing the small risks people took to carry out what once were normal day-to-day tasks. A man sat alone in a takeaway piqued Hopkinson\u2019s interest, this resulting in the painting \u2018Breath Threat\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d done quite a few paintings of people alone in public spaces before the pandemic which aimed to reflect social isolation or sometimes, in more confined settings, the sense also of a trapped self,\u201d Hopkinson said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe one in the painting lends something disturbing, I think, to scene which might be called slightly Hopperish, both by adding to a slight sense of claustrophobia and reminding that the air you breath these days is potentially lethal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Mary Rouncefield<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"762\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/War-By-Another-Name-compressed-1024x762.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9465\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/War-By-Another-Name-compressed-1024x762.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/War-By-Another-Name-compressed-300x223.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/War-By-Another-Name-compressed-770x573.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/War-By-Another-Name-compressed-1536x1144.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/War-By-Another-Name-compressed-2048x1525.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/War-By-Another-Name-compressed-293x218.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/War-By-Another-Name-compressed-1400x1042.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"762\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/War-By-Another-Name-compressed-1024x762.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9465\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/War-By-Another-Name-compressed-1024x762.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/War-By-Another-Name-compressed-300x223.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/War-By-Another-Name-compressed-770x573.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/War-By-Another-Name-compressed-1536x1144.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/War-By-Another-Name-compressed-2048x1525.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/War-By-Another-Name-compressed-293x218.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/War-By-Another-Name-compressed-1400x1042.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption>A Hidden Enemy (2020), courtesy of Mary Rouncefield<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Inspiration was hard to find when the pandemic hit for Bristol-based artist, Mary Rouncefield. It wasn&#8217;t until she took some time to admire some of Picasso\u2019s famous masterpieces, that she felt a spark of inspiration return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The late master\u2019s depictions of anxiety and human suffering seemed to reflect what was happening in the UK, she said. Determined to get over this creative lull, she searched her house for left-over canvases and began experimenting with Picasso\u2019s style, channelling her thoughts and fears about the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rouncefield\u2019s \u2018A Hidden Enemy\u2019 takes inspiration from Picasso\u2019s \u2018Guernica\u2019, an iconic anti-war scene that portrays the suffering of the Spanish Civil War. The pandemic seemed to be a battle too, she said, with healthcare workers risking it all on the frontline to treat thousands of people falling ill and dying from coronavirus in the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery aligncenter columns-1 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-4 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1021\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/woman-in-a-mask-compressed-1-1024x1021.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"9466\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/woman-in-a-mask-compressed-1-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?attachment_id=9466\" class=\"wp-image-9466\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/woman-in-a-mask-compressed-1-1024x1021.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/woman-in-a-mask-compressed-1-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/woman-in-a-mask-compressed-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/woman-in-a-mask-compressed-1-770x768.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/woman-in-a-mask-compressed-1-1536x1531.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/woman-in-a-mask-compressed-1-2048x2042.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/woman-in-a-mask-compressed-1-293x292.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/woman-in-a-mask-compressed-1-390x390.jpg 390w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/woman-in-a-mask-compressed-1-1400x1396.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1021\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/woman-in-a-mask-compressed-1-1024x1021.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"9466\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/woman-in-a-mask-compressed-1-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?attachment_id=9466\" class=\"wp-image-9466\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/woman-in-a-mask-compressed-1-1024x1021.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/woman-in-a-mask-compressed-1-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/woman-in-a-mask-compressed-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/woman-in-a-mask-compressed-1-770x768.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/woman-in-a-mask-compressed-1-1536x1531.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/woman-in-a-mask-compressed-1-2048x2042.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/woman-in-a-mask-compressed-1-293x292.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/woman-in-a-mask-compressed-1-390x390.jpg 390w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/woman-in-a-mask-compressed-1-1400x1396.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">&#8216;Woman In A Mask&#8217; (2020), courtesy of Mary Rouncefield<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPeople were talking about the fight against the virus and war, and I remembered Picasso\u2019s piece Guernica,\u201d she said. \u201cHe used that painting to show a massacre of really quite ordinary, innocent people in a village in Spain. I felt that quite ordinary, innocent people were dying here in a different way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rouncefield also strived to capture the widespread anxiety felt by the UK population, drawing inspiration from Picasso\u2019s distorted facial expressions. She began to incorporate an item into her paintings that has become symbolic of the Covid-19 pandemic, the facemask. An item that has come to be the source of recent political and societal divides. Rouncefield was most interested in how facemasks changed how people saw each other, and although they obscured peoples\u2019 faces, fear can still be seen in their eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Darcey Murphey<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"896\" height=\"704\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/B8D9B29B-7136-4DB6-BAC0-A5A8DD484C10-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9469\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/B8D9B29B-7136-4DB6-BAC0-A5A8DD484C10-1.jpg 896w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/B8D9B29B-7136-4DB6-BAC0-A5A8DD484C10-1-300x236.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/B8D9B29B-7136-4DB6-BAC0-A5A8DD484C10-1-770x605.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/B8D9B29B-7136-4DB6-BAC0-A5A8DD484C10-1-293x230.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 896px) 100vw, 896px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"896\" height=\"704\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/B8D9B29B-7136-4DB6-BAC0-A5A8DD484C10-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9469\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/B8D9B29B-7136-4DB6-BAC0-A5A8DD484C10-1.jpg 896w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/B8D9B29B-7136-4DB6-BAC0-A5A8DD484C10-1-300x236.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/B8D9B29B-7136-4DB6-BAC0-A5A8DD484C10-1-770x605.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/B8D9B29B-7136-4DB6-BAC0-A5A8DD484C10-1-293x230.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 896px) 100vw, 896px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption>&#8216;Jellyfish&#8217; (2020), courtesy of Darcey Murphey<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The pandemic left art student, Darcey Murphey, feeling like she was stuck in time. Like many other students, she moved back home during lockdown, but she was stranded without any of her normal art supplies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, this forced the art student to begin experimenting with new materials. Using one of the only resources she had, soft pastels, the 21-year-old artist began to make art which reflected her mental state and how her world had seemed to have come to a stand-still.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI think I was able to reflect my feelings of exhaustion but also calmness with Covid, and how I felt as though I was just floating through it,\u201d she said. \u201cLooking back, I think my work was a way for me to escape and make the most of the pretty bad situation we were all in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This sense of suspension in time is captured in Murphey\u2019s work \u2018Jellyfish\u2019, depicting a human form floating in the air supported by a luminescent cluster of marine creatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"896\" height=\"630\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/6DE5970E-DFEA-4B53-A29F-54BF47A6C488-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9470\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/6DE5970E-DFEA-4B53-A29F-54BF47A6C488-1.jpg 896w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/6DE5970E-DFEA-4B53-A29F-54BF47A6C488-1-300x211.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/6DE5970E-DFEA-4B53-A29F-54BF47A6C488-1-770x541.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/6DE5970E-DFEA-4B53-A29F-54BF47A6C488-1-293x206.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 896px) 100vw, 896px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"896\" height=\"630\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/6DE5970E-DFEA-4B53-A29F-54BF47A6C488-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9470\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/6DE5970E-DFEA-4B53-A29F-54BF47A6C488-1.jpg 896w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/6DE5970E-DFEA-4B53-A29F-54BF47A6C488-1-300x211.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/6DE5970E-DFEA-4B53-A29F-54BF47A6C488-1-770x541.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/6DE5970E-DFEA-4B53-A29F-54BF47A6C488-1-293x206.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 896px) 100vw, 896px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption> &#8216;Day 1 Day 2 Day 3&#8217; (2020), courtesy of Darcey Murphey<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Murphey also decided to use her work as a political statement, to vent her frustrations at the UK government\u2019s handling of the pandemic. The piece \u2018Day 1 Day 2 Day 3\u2019 depicts buried human heads emerging out of some soil as a figure buries them like plants, a scene reflecting the UK\u2019s rising death toll. Murphey also refers to a looming feeling of unease during lockdown, an awareness that whilst people tried to continue their day-to-day tasks, people were dying across the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWith this piece I was attempting to reflect how everyday life had just become a bit weird even when doing normal things such as gardening,\u201d she said. \u201cSomething just didn\u2019t feel right!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Times of upheaval have inspired some of the world&#8217;s most influential art. How have artists been inspired by our new reality?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":601,"featured_media":9488,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How UK artists depicted the Covid-19 pandemic - Life360<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/how-uk-artists-depicted-the-covid-19-pandemic\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How UK artists depicted the Covid-19 pandemic - Life360\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Times of upheaval have inspired some of the world&#039;s most influential art. How have artists been inspired by our new reality?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/how-uk-artists-depicted-the-covid-19-pandemic\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Life360\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-10-27T20:25:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-10-28T15:35:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/10\/1F3B1499-copy-cropped.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"998\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"561\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Lydia Armstrong\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@LydiaArmstMedia\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Lydia Armstrong\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/how-uk-artists-depicted-the-covid-19-pandemic\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/how-uk-artists-depicted-the-covid-19-pandemic\/\",\"name\":\"How UK artists depicted the Covid-19 pandemic - 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