Stages of Quarantine

On January 20th, 2020 the first case of Covid-19 was reported in America. At first many of us thought it was nothing to worry about. At first I did not think much of this disease and figured it would be a passing illness. My perspective drastically changed when the virus spread. There was an uncertainty of what would come next.

My following term at Knox College was moved online, as were all schools. I watched my classmates who were from across the country and across the globe, cry as they were not sure what their next steps were. Businesses closed. People lost their jobs. We are truly living in a moment that could be included in history books for future generations. As I write this on July 27, 2020 Covid-19 has not slowed down. We are still unsure of whether colleges and schools are going back to classrooms. Some businesses are still closed. Everyone is urged to wear masks, but numerous people refuse to wear them. States have opened up but promptly closed a month later as the cases of Covid skyrocketed.

During all of this chaos, I was in the end of my Spring term at Knox College. My studio art course had a piece due for our final assignment. Being an artist, I had felt a giant weight to create art during this detrimental time. I decided to make this painting depicting my own stages of acceptance during this quarantine. My goal is if one day someone stumbles upon this painting when I’m long gone, they will be prompted to figure out what I meant by quarantine.

Countless people started out almost laughing at the fact that there was a “deadly virus” in America. Then we realized it wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised we self-quarantine at home and only leave for essential items until the first wave of Covid-19 passed. I took this advice and barely left my home unless I needed food until about the end of April 2020. While things are opening back up, I still find myself wondering if this disease will ever actually pass.