Portraits of the Pandemic: Perth gallery chronicles COVID-19 on canvas

CBC Ottawa reached out to local artists and photographers who are capturing this unusual time visually, for a series we're calling Portraits of the Pandemic.

When thelockdowns began, Aili Kurtis was lucky to catch one of the last flights home to Canada fromCosta Rica.

For the Westport, Ont., artist, the virus didn't seem to have a significant personal impactat first after all, she already spent long hours alone in her rural studio, long before social isolation was a thing everyone had to do.

But thena longtime artist friend, Otto Graser, fell ill with COVID-19 and died a few days later.

"It's only when when somebody close to you dies that this really hits deep. You dread the invisible, and then when somebody you know dies it's not so invisible anymore. It's become real," Kurtisobserved.

Portraits of the Pandemic: Perth gallery chronicles COVID-19 through art

4 years ago

Duration 1:11

Martin Hauschild, owner of the Studio 87 gallery in Perth, wrote to over 40 local artists and asked them to create work inspired by the coronavirus pandemic.

Kurtis channelled those feelings into three works, now part of a new exhibition at Perth's Studio 87 gallery thatfocuseson artistic interpretations of the virus.

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Gallery ownerMartin Hauschild, who owns two other businesses with his partner on the town's main street,came up with the idea for the CoronavirusChroniclesin March.

"When we started to shut our stores down it was a traumatic experience. All of a sudden, artists aren't supplying work, and they are already on fairly thin incomes. I wanted to direct some positive energy towards what was happening, and I wanted to somehow chronicle this because it seemed to be a significant event," Hauschildsaid.

He wrote to the over 40 local artists he represents, asking them to create works inspired by this unusual time.

"Let's capture this moment like war artists do. Let's capture your feelings and let's let these events be reflected in art," Hauschild suggested.

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Three months in, nearly allthe artists have contributed works to the exhibition.

"What's really fascinating is the the wide range," Hauschild said. "I thought I would geta fairly narrow interpretation of the events, but it runs the emotional gamut from artists who have been deeply affected and traumatized to very light and humorous work."

Though some artists said they struggled at first to focus on their art during the upheaval, others were grateful for this outlet for their emotions.

Many changed their artistic approachesto depict these darker days. That includedKurtis, who notes she used a darker palette than her usual bright bursts of colour.

Studio 87 has since reopened with social distancing measures in place, and 45 pieces from the CoronavirusChronicles collection are on display.

Hauschild also plans to collect the works in a coffee table book, to be published this fall.

"If this whole thing blows over then it'll be a real memento of the timewe went through. It'll be an artist's reflection on that horrible time, and I think that's going to be a very valuable thing," Kurtis said.