REFLECTIONS
CARLOS MOORE

An estimated 1 in 4 adults struggle with their mental health in a regular year, but enduring stigma prevents many from seeking support.¹ The COVID-19 pandemic has fed this silent crisis through mandated lockdowns, long periods of isolation, economic insecurity, and the radical politicization of public health discourse over the past year and a half. The pandemic has also inserted additional stress into everyday interactions: when half of a person's face is covered by a mask, it is much harder to interpret their emotions and respond. Although face masks are much less socially restricting compared to other measures, such as strict isolation and quarantining, they present other challenges when interacting. ² Combined with the preexisting roadblocks to seeking mental health care, the pandemic has further sown distrust in our communities and created uncertainty about our collective futures. In Reflections, artist and educator Carlos Moore addresses mental health as a spectrum. The artworks on view serve as meditations on Moore's personal experiences with former patients, students, colleagues, and friends.

Within the gallery, Moore's large works on paper are presented without a barrier, allowing the viewer an unmediated encounter with the raw emotions within each piece. His meditations on patients from the psychiatric care facility are juxtaposed with works inspired by his students and current events, all reflected through the lens of the artist's experience. In Li'l Miss E, inspired by a former student, the common threads coalesce. In the work, Moore explores how our inner demons sometimes manifest in ways that do not seem connected to how we really feel or wish to present ourselves. Similarly, Erika depicts an elegant woman wearing a beatific smile that is impossible to decipher. Is she happy, or does her outward presentation serve as a shield? Is her expression true, or is she wearing a mask? Does knowing that she was one of the patients at the facility change how the figure is perceived?

Artists throughout history have used their talents to communicate with a world that is not always ready to understand their message, and Carlos Moore is no exception. His expressive, poignant artwork explores and engages with topics that are typically regarded as difficult, or even frightening. But following more than a year of upheaval that has touched us all, his work also seeks to start a new conversation about resiliency, self-care, and emotional reflection.

1 . Mental health disorder statistics. Johns Hopkins Medicine. (n.d.). Retrieved September 21, 2021, from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/mental-health-disorder-statistics.

2 . Carbon, C.-C. (1AD, January 1). Wearing face masks strongly confuses counterparts in reading emotions. Frontiers. Retrieved September 21, 2021, from https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.566886/full.