Artwork title : Inside-Outside-Reveries: #31

The submitted mixed media artwork, Inside/outside: Reveries is a part of a larger body of work of 60 paintings. This series was created over 60 consecutive days, while in isolation during the spring of 2020, in the midst of the COVD-19 pandemic. The artworks explore the experience of loneliness and the yearning to connect with the world beyond one’s window. In essence, it is a visual diary, recording the experience of a static cityscape.

The body of work represents an emotional connection to the inactive visual landscape unfolding in restricted space. Inside/outside: Reveries is a time capsule, an urge to show the stress of isolation and uncertainty, acting as a catharsis coming through the very repetitive work based on monotony. That state of mind, carefully explored in this body of work is very relevant outside the restriction of lockdown, because of the ever-growing filling of disconnection and loneliness in modern lifestyle. The disengagement was happening before the Pandemic, just on a lower level. Isolation is something that is an equally valid issue for many of us, due to weak family connections, life in toxic or abusive relations, the fast pace of work commitments, overuse of social media.

The carved acrylic sheet symbolizes the invisible barrier of isolation. Like a glass of the window, the obstruction stays concealed until the rain, dust or a smudge of dirt reveals it as a barrier. Therefore, the core of the painting becomes clearly visible or almost completely obscured, depending on our point of view. Similarly, loneliness can be undetected, hidden from people around us, revealing itself merely in the right conditions. Instead of resenting the isolation, in this work, I am embracing it and, through the intricacy of ascetically compelling pattern, come to peace.

This work was created as mixed media artwork in acrylic, watercolour, plexiglass, and MDF, intended for presentation as a multi-piece installation. Therefore, the viewer can experience looking through window panels, a constant barrier to the external world at that moment in history.

You can see all 60 pieces from this project at https://www.kasiadzikowska.com/inside-outside-reveries

Instagram: @Kasia_Dzikowska