lockdown art

Lockdown Art is a collection of work created by Ron Shelton and Liz Frankland during the COVID-19 lockdown of 2020. 

This exhibition consists of two scratch-built guitars and several paintings that emerged from materials already on-hand. Supportive friends donated canvas, wood, and guitar pick-ups via porch drop-offs. There were occasional online paint orders. Social distancing meant simplifying.

For two artists that work with a vintage aesthetic, 2020 sounds like a futuristic year. Time is a central theme to all this work. Time is shown prominently through acknowledging the present while honoring the visuals of the past, the pace of craftsmanship, vintage transportation, instruments, people, and spaces. 

Since 1982, Ron dreamt of scratch building a guitar. The lockdown gave him time to pursue this dream. While using vintage hand tools and limited electricity he documented his process through social media videos to connect his story to others. 

Liz's paintings convey human isolation and a longing for togetherness set in the mid-20th century with a theme of travel and progress. Finding the point where accuracy and expression meet, the slow pace of lockdown opened the process and removed constraints on time, and fear of when to call a piece completed. 

This collection of work looks to find beauty in the mundane and inspiration out of boredom. Whether it's an old 2x4 piece of wood that was leaning in a corner for years, a soup bone, or a forgotten and unremarkable family photo. To transform everyday materials and experiences into art.