Even though the pandemic is no longer the pressing issue that requires building immediate awareness, the subject matter still defines the lives of most people to a significant extent. As a result, the pandemic has shaped not only people’s personal and professional lives, but also art. In her piece “Tangram, Fragments of Current Times,” Sandra Mayo examines the transformative power of art as the prism through which she documents and reports about her experiences and changes occurring around her (Mayo). Apart from the unique perspective, Mayo’s art deserves closer attention due to the incorporation of an interactive element, specifically, the attempt to engage the readers by inviting them to leave their commentaries about their experiences and their emotional journey.
The artworks created by Mayo incorporate the aesthetic elements that also include profound symbolic components. Specifically, the use of wavy lines is claimed to represent the intuitive attempts of the viewers to flee the situations that pose an immediate threat, such as the pandemic: “Mayo explained that the wavy lines within the shapes signify how people often flee abusive situations by way of water” (Bolton-Fasman). However, due to the pervasiveness of the latter, the claustrophobic effect contributes to the development of trauma, which the artist emphasizes with her art (Jewish Arts Collaborative). Thus, Mayo’s art pieces use common shorthand creatively in order to appeal to all viewers disregarding the differences in culture and perspectives.
Due to a combination of a unique standpoint on the issue of pandemic and the inclusion of an interactive element to turn readers into the participants of the writing, Mayo has created more than an art piece as a reflection on her experience. The specified art pieces represent a statement concerning the current perception of global changes and the need to manage the increasing amount of emotional and psychological pressure. Thus, mayo makes a powerful and crucial statement with her artwork.
Works Cited
Bolton-Fasman, Judy. “Sandra Mayo Sees the Power of Art Everywhere.”Jewish Boston, 2020.
Jewish Arts Collaborative. “Artist Sandra Mayo | JLive | Jewish Arts Collaborative.” YouTube, uploaded by Jewish Arts Collaborative, 2021.
Mayo, Sandra. “Installations.”Sandra Mayo, n.d.