Tonya Patrick

Touch Transcends Geography
fabric, photography, paint
24 x 18 in.
NFS

Like a lot of fabric artists, when the COVID-19 crisis hit I redirected my time and resources to making face masks. While I love seeing photos of people all over the country wearing something I made, the self-induced pressure to produce large volumes of PPE out of a small studio can be a bit nervy. And the monotony of repeating the same motions while working alone can be draining. I deeply miss the company of loved ones, and I also miss the tactile inspiration of creating with artists in a community. For this piece, I chose a curated selection of my masks and photographed them in a pattern to reflect the circular and spiritual connection between distanced souls. I created several digitally altered versions of that photograph to represent the change of these connections over our long period of social distancing. The masks that served as the inspiration for this piece have long since scattered across the community. Although the world is weary, I believe most of us will come out on the other side of this ordeal with new ways to touch and value each other regardless of proximity.

© Tonya Patrick