In response to the shift in the world caused by COVID-19, Google and LENS’s artistic incubator, Creator Labs, has announced the upcoming release of works made in isolation by eight artists: Joshua Kissi, Andrew Thomas Huang, Anthony Prince Leslie, Mayan Toledano, Myles Loftin, June Canedo, Tim Kellner, and Josh Goldenberg (Glassface).
Noting that creativity during a global crisis might be quite difficult, Creator Labs initiated the project to provide an encouraging space for artists to make new work as they were able, with no extensive equipment or production required. Each artist chose a topic of interest to examine during their time in quarantine from which they produced a body of work using a Google Pixel, including mental health, intimacy, motherhood, team sports, wellness, and intra-community support.
Image from June Canedo’s “Untitled” series for Creator Labs; courtesy of the artist.
The end product includes a raw and captivating selection of images and videos, like Huang’s portraits shot in front of a deep red backdrop, creating a narrative on peer mutuality. Canedo’s “Untitled” series is inspired by Botticelli. Kissi captured images of the Harlem Figure Skaters and Toledano’s “Mothers” candidly highlights mothers in various stages of pregnancy.
Other series included an exploration of intimacy by Loftin, Glassface’s Ultradreamer Episode 2 discussing mental health and creativity in isolation, Leslie’s self-reflection In My Feelings, and Kellner’s serene images of upstate New York “Letchworth.”
Image from Mayan Toledano’s series for Creator Labs; courtesy of the artist.
