PAIN / PANE. Printed Matter, 2020
Safety and connection are two of our deepest longings. What happens when they are at odds?
PAIN / PANE (front), Embroidery on cotton muslin, Bernadette Cay 2020. Photo by Ollya Andreeva.
Two figures are separated by a rectangular shape that evokes a window pane, which can be seen as physical or metaphorical, as a barrier or a portal for connection.
PAIN / PANE (back), Embroidery on cotton muslin, Bernadette Cay 2020. Photo by Ollya Andreeva.
The glass panes of phones, computers, and windows separate us and connect us in order to protect us.
Listed vertically are the digital and physical experiences that have come of age in this era that are likely here to stay, including Zoom, FaceTime, Twitch, Instagram Live, YouTube Live.
Alongside are the physical barriers that have recently proliferated, such as intubation boxes and cashier shields, made of transparent plastic.
At the bottom of the address field are the words “Via Air Mail.” Growing up, my great aunts would tell me to write this on postcards. This was standard practice in their day, to help the post office sort local mail from international mail. Our current levels of connectivity, both physical and digital, were not assumed.
The stamp field is intentionally left blank – another window pane.
This piece was selected from +1000 submissions to be featured in the storefront of Printed Matter / St. Marks as part of the exhibition We Live In Real Time. The mail art project was covered in outlets including Artnet, The Art Newspaper, and Atlas Obscura.
