March 2020: Birthdays and a Pandemic…
By Gary Katz | October 18, 2020
March 12, 2020 was my wife’s birthday. I left early to go to a sales meeting in New Jersey from my apartment in Manhattan. An Uber picked me up at 7a.m. and I was at the Marriott in Teaneck in 25 minutes flat. Breezed through the GW bridge in mere minutes; the city was already shutting down before we even knew what shelter in place would look like. I’m a lumber salesman by day and poet and digital artist by night. (Plywood anyone?)
I had a lot of time from March 12th onward. On my wife’s birthday, she walked a dog and began her journey through the COVID nightmare. After thirty-three days of quarantine, my images reflect my thoughts as a caregiver and artist. Here’s a sampling of my earlier and recent works created during the pandemic.
“Social Distancing,” digital painting, “20” x 16″ (2020)
“LInear Quarantine,” digital painting, “20” x 16″ (2020)
“Mayhem,” digital painting, “20” x 16″ (2020)
“Busy Doing Nothing,” digital painting, “20” x 16″ (2020)
“Running With the Fast Crowd,” digital painting, “20” x 16″ (2020)
Copyright © 2020 Gary Katz
I am a self-taught artist and poet living in New York City. Both painting and writing came into my world in the most organic of circumstances. With each discipline, both the art and writing found me when I least expected them. Never one to turn down a creative opportunity I became the art and I became the words. A calling if you will, it brings me immeasurable joy.
Steve:
It’s an honor to be a featured artist in your phenomenal Pandemic Lens series.
Thank you for the opportunity to show my take on this crazy moment in time …
May it be over sooner than later !!
Gary Katz
You’re most welcome, Gary, and thanks for your wonderful contribution to the Lens!