ART FROM HERE
This is not a body of work. This is a collection of creative exercises; a response to a series of moments than have given me peace over the past several months. I needed to do something that was disconnected from the responsibilities of my regular practice. I needed to do anything other than obsess over the ever-growing list of racial injustices or confront my anxieties around the COVID-19 pandemic.
Making this series of facetime portraits was a creative way for me to self soothe. I began using video calls as references for these tiny family portraits, which reflected the dimensions (13.5cm x 6.5cm) I was becoming accustomed to viewing my family members at. The noticeable distortions from a phone camera lens became a motif throughout my portraits and emphasized this abstracted nature of “face to face” communication. These mini paintings became a way for me to create and connect without having to actively engage with the circumstances of 2020.
This studio visit will be co-hosted by Aukje Kapteyn. To read her reflections on Braxton’s work, please visit www.artfromhere.ca