Student Response:
Originally posted April 8, 2020 on the 'Student Perspectives on the Art Collection' blog.
"In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, GVSU switched to virtual teaching and learning on March 11th, 2020, leaving many students including myself rushing to get home, stay home, and stay safe. One GVSU student paused to Snapchat a piece of artwork installed in the hallway of their South E, Allendale Living Center during the required move out. The observed artwork titled, 'Party Masks,' shows a family gathered around a table with a cake and candles ready to be lit- a seemingly normal scene of celebration. What I imagine caught the student off guard during move out was the medical face masks worn by every family member in the print. No more than a month ago this image would be confusing and the masks would have felt out of context. But today, “Party Masks” perhaps depicts a new normal as increased fear of COVID-19 spreads." - Megan Daniels, Studio Art major, Public & Nonprofit Administration minor, GVSU Class of 2023
Current Location:
South Apartment E -> 3rd Floor (bldg E)Location Notes:
South E; C-3; Lf. of Rm. 371Party Masks
Artwork
Medium:
Digital Illustration PrintDate:
2009Dimensions:
Artworks - Height: 23.5 in Width: 22.5 inDescription:
Four figures sit at a table with a birthday cake and three glasses of milk. All are wearing masks over their faces. One figure stands and reaches over to light the candles There is a beige curtain in the background.
Historical Context:
"My images rely on this desire for things to be logical. Juxtaposing banal, everyday scenes with something extraordinary forces the viewer to reconcile the absurdity of the situation by connecting the different pieces. The images are not part of a single narrative, but all exist in the same world, a world consisting of memories that never happened...The washed-out colors as well as the family settings hearken back to a time when families sat down around the kitchen table. Connecting this shared perceptual history with puzzling imagery leads to visual narrative which is unique to each viewer." -Corey Miller