A few months ago, you’d only ever seen co-workers at the office or for an occasional happy hour drink. Now, thanks to video calls, you’ve seen their bedrooms, their children, their quarantine facial hair, all of it. Here, we take a look at what your work video call might look like if your co-workers were artworks from the museum’s collection.
- The overachiever: This guy got up, got dressed, and gave a few thoughts to his backdrop. Good for you, bud. Are you wearing sweatpants with that blazer? None of our business.
- The proud parent: Does she want to show off the baby? Maybe. Does she have a choice? No. This little tot doesn’t care about your excel spreadsheet. He wants to be fed and he will not be kept waiting.
- The queen of filters: Listen, between late-night TV bingeing and news-induced anxiety, sleep has been hard to come by lately, so some of us need a little help to look human. This colleague is just softening the harsh edges before jumping into your brainstorming session.
- The Mr. Distracto: Sure, he’s there, but he’s not paying attention. His thoughts have wandered away from deadlines and shifted to worrying about his sourdough starter. He may also be watching a YouTube tutorial on how to cut his own hair.
- The Pet Owner: She’s been on mute this whole time because Rufus has been barking at the neighbors all morning. Truth be told, they’re both counting down the minutes until their lunchtime walk. Staring at a screen all day has them craving some outdoor time.
These are just some of the interesting characters hanging out on the walls and in storage at the museum. Get to know them all at www.akronartmuseum.org/collection.
Images: 1. Self-Portrait, Samuel Fosso, (Kumba, Cameroon, 1962 — ), Gelatin silver print, 20 in. x 20 in. (50.8 cm x 50.8 cm), Knight Purchase Fund for Photographic Media, 2006.31
2. Young Mother, Zoltan Sepeshy, (Kassa, Hungary, 1898–1974, Royal Oak, Michigan), Egg tempera on fiberboard, 36 1/4 in. x 30 in. (92.08 cm x 76.2 cm), Anonymous gift, 1952.2
3. Portrait of Woman — N, from Series 5, Robert Stivers, (Palo Alto, California, 1953 — ), Gelatin silver print, 20 in. x 16 in. (50.8 cm x 40.64 cm), Gift of George Stephanopoulos, 2006.314
4. Why, Butch Anthony, (Pensacola, Florida, 1963 — ), Acrylic, pastel, aluminum foil on found portrait, 24 1/4 x 20 1/4 in. (61.6 x 51.4 cm), Gift of the artist, 2015.52
5. Robert and his Watchdogs, Bedford Avenue Tire Shop, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Vincent Cianni, (Scranton, Pennsylvania, 1952 — ), Gelatin silver print, 18 1/2 in. x 15 1/2 in. (46.99 cm x 39.37 cm), Gift of the artist in honor of Barbara Tannenbaum, 2011.154