Pandemic Workers – Katrina and Justin

Katrina and Justin put on yellow medical gowns in preparation for their shifts. The realistic portrayal of the subjects on one side is countered by the weight of an abstract form that takes up the other half of the painting. Covid-19 was a new invisible danger in the hospital, its presence always feeling nearby, threatening, and unknown – a kind of abstract presence. Alternatively, the abstract shape can also be symbolic of healthcare as an institution that is itself threatened, and what that has meant for the workers.

The “Healthcare Workers Series”

In addition to his work as an artist, Clinton Roberts previously worked as a healthcare worker at one of Winnipeg’s main hospitals until 2022. His latest paintings document the Covid-19 pandemic from the point of view of his co-workers on the front lines who experience the added risks, uncertainties, and stress brought on by the Covid-19 crisis. The pandemic has heightened people's awareness about "essential workers," but when people think about healthcare, there are many types of work that are not part of the public imagination. Clinton Roberts' goal as an artist is to represent workers who are integral to patient care but are often unrecognized and undervalued.