Kyuin Serena Kim

My work is inspired by the things that I see on the internet or in news articles. . . . More so now during the pandemic than ever before, we rely on technology all the time. Author Dwight Silverman stated in an article: “Now, by avoiding a virus for which humanity has no natural immunity, these changes are accelerating. The internet has become a critical factor in coping with the coronavirus pandemic. And when this is over—whenever that might be—we will come out of this changed, more reliant that ever on being connected.” (houstonchronicle)

There were (other) articles that I got inspiration from during the quarantine and I wanted to share my reaction to the article with other people. The first . . . is about how technology will change us after the coronavirus. I found another article that discusses phone addiction, a problem I found myself having to deal with since the pandemic began. I (also) read an article which mentioned that a lot of people have been losing their jobs due to the coronavirus but since they have a family, they still had to look for a job during this pandemic.

The artwork that I created (in response) is about technology, phone addiction, and how the coronavirus is impacting people around the world.

The idea of using photoshop came to my mind because I realized that no matter what I paint or draw, the finished work must be photographed and will be posted ‘online’. There is no way that I can personally interact with the viewers and neither is there a way for viewers to interact with the paintings. Since I cannot explain my work to the viewers, I incorporated QR codes that lead to the articles that inspired the creation of my paintings. Also, by integrating the QR codes into my paintings using photoshop, the QR codes themselves become a part of my artwork as a whole.

The world around us is constantly changing. After being in quarantine for so long, I myself have changed too. Not just as a person, but also as an artist. I faced a lot of fear and anxiety. However, I am able to channel those emotions to explore new ways that I can practice art. This opportunity has allowed me to broaden my horizons as an artist by forcing me outside of my box. In regards to everything that has happened this year, I strive to create artwork that can be appreciated online as much as it can be in person.