Collected Item: “Bigger Than the Pandemic”
What type of object are you contributing?
Image
Provide a brief title for the object you are contributing.
Bigger Than the Pandemic
Provide us with a brief description of this object and, if it is not obvious, how it connects with the Chippewa Valley. For example, if this object is an image describe for us what the image displays and why it is significant.
The source I decided to create is a painting, two in fact. I have never been the greatest at drawing, but I love to paint. I always only choose simple ideas with minimal details which you can see from my two paintings. In a piece of art, it is a way to symbolize an idea, event, person, and many other things. This is what I wanted my paintings to look like. I wanted them to represent the pandemic and other events that went on during covid.
A primary source is an authentic, firsthand evidence of an event or the time period. Whether it be a document, video, painting, or speech it all connects to the event at that time. My paintings are considered primary sources because we are in a current pandemic and my pieces are evidence to prove or connect to what is happening now in our world.
My first piece has two sides to it. The left side is showing a medical member, it can be a nurse, doctor, or any other medical profession in your eyes. This person is seen as a hero as the light shines through the clouds onto them. I wanted this to represent our fellow front-line workers who are putting their life at risks to help others. I also know that there are several other front-line workers in other fields but choose a medical member to represent as a healer of this pandemic. On the other side of this, I also wanted to show the losses that we face because of this virus. I decided to make it dark and have the virus represent a darkened sun that does not shine on the casket of a lost person and their family. I just wanted this piece to overall show that yes, the frontline workers are saviors, but this virus have caused over millions of lives and continues to effect populations throughout the world.
Even though the two painting are separated, they go together. The bigger one shows protesters. It shows “Black Lives Matter”, “Stop Asian Hate”, and “we stand together” signs. It also shows a replica of George Floyd memorial. I wanted these two paintings to symbolize that even though there was a life changing pandemic, what was bigger was the racial discriminations in the US. Even though covid-19 was the biggest event in 2020-2021, what I see that was more devastating was BLM, Asian hate, overall discrimination. As I am Asian raced, this was more important and impactful than the virus for me. I used my fingerprint to represent the heads of the protesters, to show that even through the color we are all human. I even added mixed prints throughout the painting to also show that humans are also not only one race or ethnicity, and we stand together. I was inspired by other art that I have seen but adding the fingerprints was a powerful piece in showing that we are all human and deserve to be treated like human.
Through my paintings I want people to understand that during the pandemic of covid-19, there were also racial discriminations, counting deaths that were not caused by the virus, and an outrage of history. People will not forget that covid-19 took place during these 2 years but eventually, George Floyd will be forgotten by the world. Other black lives that were taken during this pandemic will be forgotten or thrown into the shadow of this virus. Eventually, those Asian elders who were beaten to death will be forgotten. I want my source to live on and to remind the world that there were also other devastating events happening in the arms of this pandemic.
A primary source is an authentic, firsthand evidence of an event or the time period. Whether it be a document, video, painting, or speech it all connects to the event at that time. My paintings are considered primary sources because we are in a current pandemic and my pieces are evidence to prove or connect to what is happening now in our world.
My first piece has two sides to it. The left side is showing a medical member, it can be a nurse, doctor, or any other medical profession in your eyes. This person is seen as a hero as the light shines through the clouds onto them. I wanted this to represent our fellow front-line workers who are putting their life at risks to help others. I also know that there are several other front-line workers in other fields but choose a medical member to represent as a healer of this pandemic. On the other side of this, I also wanted to show the losses that we face because of this virus. I decided to make it dark and have the virus represent a darkened sun that does not shine on the casket of a lost person and their family. I just wanted this piece to overall show that yes, the frontline workers are saviors, but this virus have caused over millions of lives and continues to effect populations throughout the world.
Even though the two painting are separated, they go together. The bigger one shows protesters. It shows “Black Lives Matter”, “Stop Asian Hate”, and “we stand together” signs. It also shows a replica of George Floyd memorial. I wanted these two paintings to symbolize that even though there was a life changing pandemic, what was bigger was the racial discriminations in the US. Even though covid-19 was the biggest event in 2020-2021, what I see that was more devastating was BLM, Asian hate, overall discrimination. As I am Asian raced, this was more important and impactful than the virus for me. I used my fingerprint to represent the heads of the protesters, to show that even through the color we are all human. I even added mixed prints throughout the painting to also show that humans are also not only one race or ethnicity, and we stand together. I was inspired by other art that I have seen but adding the fingerprints was a powerful piece in showing that we are all human and deserve to be treated like human.
Through my paintings I want people to understand that during the pandemic of covid-19, there were also racial discriminations, counting deaths that were not caused by the virus, and an outrage of history. People will not forget that covid-19 took place during these 2 years but eventually, George Floyd will be forgotten by the world. Other black lives that were taken during this pandemic will be forgotten or thrown into the shadow of this virus. Eventually, those Asian elders who were beaten to death will be forgotten. I want my source to live on and to remind the world that there were also other devastating events happening in the arms of this pandemic.
When was this item created? Please use a "month day, year" format, for example, "April 10, 2020."
May 4, 2021
Share with us the geographic location where this item was created. Please include, if possible, a ZIP code and an address or cross streets to help us map this location. For example, "Rice Lake, Wis., 54868, intersection of Main and Knapp."
Starlite Drive Holmen, WI, 54636
Who created this object?
Pada Yang
Tell us who is contributing this object to the Covid-19 archive. For example, "John Smith."
Pada Yang
Help us identify a category for this item by selecting one option from this list that best fits the item you are contributing.
Education
Is there anything else you would like to tell us about this object? Feel free to add relevant hashtags or a course hashtag if applicable.
#UWECHIST172
Your name.
[private]
I have read and agree to the terms and conditions associated with contributing objects to this project.
Yes