Kathryn Durst
ALONE IN MY OWN BODY : Learning to reconnect

October 1 – 24, 2021

COVID-19 Precautions:
A maximum of 5 guests will be welcome into the gallery at a time
Masks are required

Artworks and prices: here

A series of figures from life, over zoom by Kathryn Durst

Humans are a social species; physical touch is absolutely necessary for our emotional well
being. With “social distancing” rules in place for so long, have we done ourselves a deeper
damage? Instilling anxiety about being near other human bodies harms us more than anything.
These works explore the emotional and psychological toll that long periods of isolation can
cause, as well as the social repercussions we may suffer. Many people lived completely alone
during this time without any kind of physical touch from another person. Torment, deep
loneliness, boredom, aggravation, exhaustion, fear – there are a wide range of emotions that we
have all felt in our isolation.

As an artist who uses the human figure drawn from life as subject matter for my work, the
Covid-19 pandemic restrictions made this a challenge. No longer could I draw from a live model
in the same room. However, during the lockdown I began to draw life models who transitioned to
posing over Zoom technology. This created a different kind of intimacy in drawing the form.
Models would pose in their own living space, which can often represent their inner mental and
emotional states.

I hoped to express some of these emotions visually in the figure by using expressive lines, form
distortions and exaggerations, and lifelike facial expressions to bring the internal psychological
state outwards. I also wished to show some of the humor and lighter side of lockdown as well:
some of these people are participating in activities such as playing instruments or dressing up in
weird outfits – pastimes we all took on to help us cope.
Currently, with the vaccine rollout, society is talking about “things going back to normal” and
planning for a future when many can gather once again. I am curious about the social
repercussions of being forced to distance from others for so long. After viewing other human
bodies as “dangerous” to our wellbeing, will it feel unnatural to reconnect to human touch once
again?

In displaying all of these images side-by-side, I am hoping to connect some of these people in
this moment, within this gallery space.
We are connected in our isolation, through art.

Artworks and prices HERE

Shop online – send artist name and artwork # to: shop@atelierludmila.com
We’ll respond with pricing and payment options.

Pick up: Gallery open weekends 11am – 4pm or by appointment
Post: We’ll ship these treasures to your door (Shipping costs may apply)