This project is a photographic response to the jaw-dropping lack of responsibility and spreading of misinformation that I noticed towards mask wearing in Wellington after moving into Level 1 in 2021. Despite freely available evidence of how dangerous the virus is, how widespread it can be, and how lucky we as a country have been, people aren't even taking the most basic safety precautions.
I have presented these images along two axes: one approaching the crowd to involve and capture the viewer in the seething press of humanity:
the other showing the course of degradation as a representation of the viral ravages of the human form. Presenting these images on masks, symbols of medical precaution and methods of containing the spread of the disease, emphasising the juxtaposition of having a massive festival in the middle of a pandemic (all of these images were taken at Homegrown 2021).
the other showing the course of degradation as a representation of the viral ravages of the human form. Presenting these images on masks, symbols of medical precaution and methods of containing the spread of the disease, emphasising the juxtaposition of having a massive festival in the middle of a pandemic (all of these images were taken at Homegrown 2021).
There was such a high density of people, from all over the country, covering a small space, none of whom were wearing a mask or practising social distancing, making this a perfect example of the attitude we have towards the pandemic. This crowd was oblivious to the danger that just one infected attendee would represent. We are lucky to live in a country where our quick response to the pandemic has allowed us to mostly return to life as we knew it before the outbreak. But we are treating this pandemic as though it is already over, when in reality it is far from it.
What's All The Fuss About Masks? was exhibited in the Photospace gallery as a part of Photography Aotearoa's Young Artists Show.