COVID RAINBOWS

This activist-inclined series, where political and other contemporary figures are put on a stage against a backdrop of clean, non-descript, color-blocked environments, is a significant divergence from Bingham’s past work which typically drew upon her own introspective musings on the concepts of love, relationships, and similar overarching emotional themes.  In contrast, her new work is inspired by external stimulus, most notably the unrest, divisiveness, and fear currently embracing the United States.  In doing so, I think she has successfully created a powerful set of images that encapsulates and tells the story, thus far, of the social, economic, environmental, and political unrest catalyzed by the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

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Although thematically different, stylistically the work is representative of the artist through her choice of material and color, as well as her depiction of complex situations through tightly rendered drawings.  The kaleidoscopic imagery, which ranges from an overweight woman drinking a soda next to her gun-toting dog, to an Asian girl riding a black unicorn-floatie in a tumultuous sea of diversity with a victim washed up on its bank, showcases Bingham’s unique perspective and story-telling ability.  Depictions of Biden, Obama, and Trump provide further fuel to these provocative works.  According to Bingham, “I am not aiming to provide a utopic “artist” solution with “COVID RAINBOWS,” rather I just want to show, void of noise, in a clean authentic way what I have seen, heard, and expensed through the media and social networks during the pandemic. As heartbreaking as the multiplicity of this unrest is, it feels necessary in order to create lasting change…I just hope there is a real pot of gold for everyone at the end of the rainbow.”

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