Covid Constrained Compositions 2: Bacilli
By Yeside Linney | March 20, 2021
Have you ever wondered whether you are truly protected from infectious diseases ranging from the common cold to more deadly threats like rabies or bird flu? When you travel, are you protected from the many infections abroad?
According to most histories, the Spanish Flu ended in 1920. This is wrong: it did not end, and the virus did not stop killing.Spanish Flu’s descendants, in fact, are still with us, with different variants; each year carrying the potential to kill.
The plague Bacillus never dies or disappears for good: it can lie dormant for years and years in furniture and linen chests.
From The Plague by Albert Camus
The reality is that over the years this is likely to lead to coronavirus becoming just another of the seasonal virus we experience every year. This is not meant to sound morbid but to paint a picture of the “new normal.” Our social interactions have changed already. Even a simple greeting of “How are you?” carries the subtext, “Are you infectious?”
Yeside Linney, Series C3. 2: Bacilli, mixed media on deep box canvas, 60cm x 30cm 2021
Series C3. 2: Bacilli reflects the bubbles we create to protect ourselves from the ever-present-mutating virus. COVID-19 is the first pandemic that has become publicly symbolised by a graphic of the virus itself. The imagery of the virus enables a personification of the threat; it supports the characterisation of war between the public and the pandemic, which, in turn, supports the mobilisation of our defenses.
Copyright © 2021 Yeside Linney
Although Nigerian born, Yeside Linney has spent over 65 years living in the UK and is now retired from having been a High School teacher of English. She is a self-taught artist and regards herself as an eclectic Art pilgrim whose five year, and ongoing journey, is a process of self-discovery, using principally acrylics, oil pastels and inks. She is predominantly a landscape painter, though also attracted to other forms of expression, often abstracted. Landscapes are full of shape, texture and energy so she feels it’s important to capture these elements in her work. Each creation, sometimes influenced by poetry, aims to evoke a sense of place, whilst allowing room for personal interpretation. Yeside exhibits locally in Surrey where she lives.