curated by ann trinca
One of the hardest hands the global pandemic has dealt us is uncertainty. Not knowing what comes next requires zen-like patience that most people struggle to achieve. Uncertainty makes it difficult for us to predict what decisions to make and how to act. Endlessly adjusting to lockdowns, home-school, job loss, health scares, and mental anguish – it’s been grueling.
Philosophers going back to Heraclitus in 500 BC have noted that change is the only constant we can rely on. But in our technological era, we have come to expect a high level of predictability. For most of us, the COVID-19 pandemic may be one of the first times we have had to deal with a long-term, volatile and seemingly uncontrollable situation.
The title of this exhibition comes from the song by Missing Persons who write so honestly:
Life is so strange when you don't know
How can you tell where you're going to?
You can't be sure of any situation
Something could change and then you won't know
You ask yourself
Where do we go from here?
It seems so all too near
Just as far beyond as I can see
I still don't know what this all means to me
Artists have a special capability to cope with the fear of the unknown by remaining open to new possibilities. "Uncharted" author Margaret Heffernan notes that “The work of artists endures because they dare to imagine what they can’t see and allow their minds to leave predetermined paths.”
So, I asked these participating artists, “Where do you long to journey – either physically or philosophically? How can we regain our bearings in life and reclaim our certainty? Some artists expressed a hesitancy or skepticism about to returning to “normal”. Others acknowledge that their art practice has been a welcome mode of escapism.
Art can transport us, and as Steve Briscoe’s marvelous oars can teach us, we have the tools to steer treacherous waters and define our own destinations. To close with one final quote:
“The best way to predict your future is to create it.”
