by Niall Walker
"I didn't like my reality, so I made a new one."
The Radical Art Review exists as a platform for inspiring resistance and creativity. In a world of 24-hour capitalism, where time is a commodity of ever-increasing scarcity, it can feel difficult to engage these passions. Yet now, we find ourselves frozen in space, with so much time that it weighs on our sanity.
Our creativity now is more important than ever: for our own mental wellbeing, and for the wellbeing of others, too. In the upcoming months, we will be exhibiting artwork produced by individuals stuck between walls around the world. We do so with a hope of bringing colour and imagination to lives stuck in confinement, and, hopefully, to encourage others to do the same.
These digital exhibits are dedicated to the health workers putting their lives at risk; the community activists supporting the most vulnerable in their areas; and anyone who has been made redundant, or is struggling to see hope for the future, as Capitalism's ruthlessness threatens to make victims of us all.
Adam McVicker is an agender multimedia artist, currently based in Philly but soon moving (back) to Chicago. As a disabled queer person, their work often alludes to feelings of isolation, and being an observer to the world around them. Their collage work, which started as a low-energy way to make art without setting up a whole photoshoot, quickly turned into a therapeutic way of keeping their "art brain" stimulated in between bigger projects, constantly trying to think about new ways to present things we've seen before, but in a new and creative way.
IG: @adamfliks
Lea Valenzuela is a former art director based in Manila who pursued her passion for photography. Much of the inspiration for her collage art is drawn from her awe and love for the outdoors. She hopes her art will remind us of how wonderful our world is and bring comfort and peace while we stay indoors during this pandemic.
IG: @lealeii
Corey Elias Burden is based in Albany, Georgia. He is an army veteran with a passionate love for the arts, particularly for abstract painting.
IG: @3liasabsract
Meg Waddington is an illustrator. "I didn’t like my reality so I made a new one. Upon doing so I’ve traveled deep into the consciousness and subconscious experience, which has revealed to me the layers of self, the universe, and the interconnectedness of us all. This journey of discovery and creation has turned my once sardonic heart sincere, has filled me with love and gratitude. The art I create is a message for you, a reminder to love yourself deeply and know you are loved."
IG: @mind_over_meg
Twitter: @mind_over_meg
Mark Noble is a UK-based artist with autism. He works primarily in landscape painting, drawing inspiration from the rolling storms of the English channel he witnessed in his youth. For this collection, he has produced two richly coloured paintings entitled 'Wild and Moody'.
For more of Mark's work, check out our feature
To buy his paintings, go to his website
Want to feature in our next exhibition? Send us your quarantine art - whatever form it may take - along with a statement about yourself and your work, to radicalartreview@gmail.com