Love In The Time Of Corona
Elisa Blynn
Love in the Time of Corona by Elisa Blynn is motivated by the co-incidence of both the sudden COVID-19 shutdown and quarantine scene happening in NYC and around the globe, and the conclusion of Chashama’s time at 55 Ave A, affectionately known as “The Bank”. When the studio artists were given a move out date of April 10 (now postponed), they were also invited to put up a group show of their work in the remaining time there. However, the group show shifted to a window-view only presentation as stay-at-home rules were implemented in the City. With the departure from “The Bank” imminent, Ms. Blynn immediately installed all of her finished new art pieces, making them viewable through the glorious nine-window spread, and she also began to create real-time installations and spontaneous performances in the gallery space, thereby merging her “gallery hours” with her “studio hours”.
With all non-essential businesses shuttered, Ms. Blynn believes that creativity, art, and expression on the street are a matter of community well-being. The traumatized New Yorkers walking by the window-view installation, or standing across the street six feet apart from each other waiting to enter the Key Foods market, have all expressed immense joy, appreciation, and relief at seeing the explosion of color and creativity happening inside the space in plain view. When people need to leave the safety of their homes for essential supplies or for the brief relief of fresh air and sunshine (while practicing proper physical distancing), visible art on the street is a way for city dwellers to reconnect with nature, as their inner creative impulses shine through the arts, into innovation and the possibility of real change for the betterment of all Life.
Elisa Blynn is a performing artist who has always made art as part of both her acting process and her creative transformative processes. Since having a dedicated studio space, she has been making entirely new art, both visual and performative, exploding into vibrant, instinctual artistic expressions. Finally able to work with the found materials she’d collected over 10+ years from the streets of NYC, which could not be utilized in her home space, she has also been able to incorporate larger-scale materials that would otherwise not have physically fit inside her apartment.
Love in the Time of Corona expresses this artist’s deeper recognition and confirmation that art is everywhere, creativity is Life. This inaugural presentation of her work demonstrates two significant things: the incredible expansion of an artist that is possible, simply as a result of having unfettered designated space to create art within their own community; and the immeasurable value of a visible, accessible Art presence during times of calamity and hardship, that enlivens the surrounding neighborhood, inspiring joy and open hearts — even if but for a passing moment.
About the Artist
Elisa Blynn is a multidisciplinary performing artist and transformational creative director. Ms. Blynn received her B.A. in Performing Arts from University of Florida, and arrived in New York City in 1996. She made her niche in NYC’s independent theater and film scenes, performing in world premiere plays and originating roles. Highlights include her work with the Obie Award-winning Flea Theater, Inverse Theater and The Faux Real Theater, the LAByrinth’s Lobby Series and LAB’s Intensive Ensemble, and the Moth series. Ms. Blynn’s work can also be seen in independent films such as In Vivo and the award-winning romantic-comedy Chasing Taste. Since 2002, Elisa has been creating transformational performance art and ritual theater experiences, most significantly, her program for women called OFf the MuFf, as well as solo performances as her Sacred Feminine Superhero Avatar, “Femin-Inferno”. Since becoming a studio resident artist in the Chashama Space to Create program, she has expanded her work into the visual art/mixed media and installation arts. As a creative director-doula, Ms. Blynn is passionate about Art in service of Transformation and Transformation in service of Art.
For more about Elisa, visit her at www.femin-inferno.com and follow her online at Instagram, Creative Response Unit Instagram, Facebook, and OFf the MuFf Facebook.
