I've been working on this collage for the past month. Shortly after I finished "Social Distancing" I decided to make a whole series of collages about the Covid-19 lockdown. This is the largest collage I've ever made and certainly the most complicated composition. "The Essentials" shows a scene from the local grocery store around May of this year. There still plenty of food, but there were odd shortages. The store had put a limit on the amount of canned beans you could buy, and the shelves for toilet paper and cleaners were completely empty. Trips to the store were sometimes nerve-wracking. I didn't know how crowded the place would be or who would be wearing masks (and if they'd be wearing masks properly). I am grateful, as well as concerned for the grocery store employees who are working through this pandemic. I've seen some perfectly understandable tension between the cashiers and their managers. I believe these workers are underpaid in normal conditions. Now, especially that they've been dropping the "hero" pay, its abysmal. The title "The Essentials" plays on the idea of the material needs and the people who make sure they are available. www.micmitblog.tumblr.com
