L A R A A L C A N T A R A
Feeling the Pandemic
November 10 - 30, 2020
T H E E X H I B I T I O N
Nohra Haime Gallery is pleased to present LARA ALCANTARA: FEELING THE PANDEMIC, a virtual exhibition of self-portraits in quarantine, from November 10 – 30, 2020. Select works will also be available for viewing on site, In The Windows at Nohra Haime Gallery.
FEELING THE PANDEMIC is a colorful series of self-portraits born entirely out of quarantine. Alcantara, a professional photographer in New York City, found her world flipped upside down when quarantine hit in early 2020. Like many others, her once busy lifestyle filled with meetings, staff and lighting teams, studios and directors was quickly replaced with homemaking activities such as house chores, cooking, cleaning, and assisting with her children’s studies.
THE LAST SUPPER, 2020, digital C print, 49 x 34 in. 124.5 x 86.4 cm.
FINDING A PLACE TO HIDE, 2020
digital C print
45 x 30 in. 114.3 x 76.2 cm.
The abrupt halt was debilitating, but Alcantara, a reflective and spiritual being, realized she had been given the gift of time on a silver platter. Fears of isolation turned into quiet contemplation, and mundane daily life spurred a robust creativity and a return to the camera that produced over 40 works for the series.
In FEELING THE PANDEMIC, Alcantara boldly steps into the world of “the housewife” using familiar spaces to depict clever, dreamy scenarios injected with humor and sarcasm. One such work, Escape to Nowhere, 2020, captures the artist fleeing isolation using a never-ending rope of laundry. Determination is countered by disappointment as she ironically finds herself landing on the balcony of her own apartment.
Alcantara’s relatable situations resonate with her audience on social media, an outlet she often uses to help others escape their own fears and anxieties caused by the pandemic. Works such as Finding a Place to Hide, 2020 and Ostrich Form, 2020, are comedic portrayals of a common anxiety trigger, spacial awareness. She reveals her own frustrations of living in small quarters with no space of one’s own as she retreats unsuccessfully to hide in obvious places.
FEELING THE PANDEMIC is a raw and calculated take on the state of our world today. Each portrait digs a tunnel and extends a hand to help the viewer escape reality, if only for a moment, and change our perspective from dark to light, negative to positive.
DEAR DIARY, 2020, digital C print, 49 x 34 in. 124.5 x 86.4 cm.
985, 355 DAYS OF QUARANTINE, 2020, Digital C print, 49 x 34 in. 124.5 x 86.4 cm.
T H E W O R K S
COLOR COVER, 2020, digital C print, 39 x 37 in. 99.1 x 94 cm.
PLAYROOM BATTLE, 2020, digital C print, 49 x 34 in. 124.5 x 86.4 cm.
I N Q U I R E
To see the works in person, please visit the gallery anytime Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 6pm. Gallery is open Mondays for appointments only. Please call 212-888-3550 to make an appointment.
For artwork prices, exhibition inquiries, questions or concerns, please email at gallery@nohrahaimegallery.com.
L A R A A L C A N T A R A
Clickmagazinenyc
11/12/20
📸 Lara Alcantara