Her glass pyrographs, which she makes by dragging molten pieces of glass across paper, looked delicate even through a screen. The way the paper traced the motion of the hot glass was a welcome respite from the images and websites that normally occupied my screen. And because the internet facilitated the viewing of this work, I had immediate access to watching Ichikawa’s process on other platforms like YouTube—an experience I couldn’t have in the same way by just seeing her work in a gallery.
Despite these connections, virtually experiencing art felt lacking. I’d usually log off the Zoom or exit the viewing room or shut down Instagram and would again be confronted with my loneliness. Screens make connecting hard.