The Tyranny of Normal collage

 

The Tyranny of "Normal"  | paper and ink on foam core board | 8"x10" | 2022

Let me begin by saying that this collage didn't turn out the way I hoped. I wanted to make it the traditional way, with paper cut from magazines. I dipped a COVID stamp from Etsy in red ink and acrylic paint and stamped the whole collage. But some of the paint got smeared and that was disappointing. Also, I really wanted to find images of people on public transportation and airplanes. I am considering making a digital collage, too, so that I can more easily access those images.

But enough about what this collage isn't. I should write about what it is. It's a companion piece to the blog post I wrote a few months ago. It's a manifestation of my frustration with the inadequate messaging about the risks of COVID. It's about people pretending that everything is normal. It's about people living in a fool's paradise of denial. And all around them, COVID is in the air, just waiting for a warm body to infect.