SpecialReport
A Parenthetical Moment in Time:
the COVID Pages
Prior to Covid, the Sunday NYT editions were filled with a wide range of stories offering an abundance of playful frivolity – the "Dear Reader" survey and accounts of galas among them. The paper covered all areas of a free and unencumbered society. Typically, I was able to create four Pages from one Sunday paper and on occasion, six, seven, or even eight!
But with Covid, the situation became something else entirely. Life seemed to tumble into heartache, loss and sheer survival overnight. It was difficult, arduous, and at times, almost impossible to create a single Page from the entire paper that could offer a glimmer of light, or dare I say, find humor in the darkness of this shared and profoundly intimate experience.
Toward the end of May 2021, infections were down and with distanced seating, restaurants were opening up once again. Masks became optional in many places, especially out-of-doors. This up turn in events was, and continues to be, reflected in the tenor of the Sunday Times. Its reporting became more hopeful because we were more hopeful.
As we began to emerge from a long and difficult period of isolation, pain and in some cases, personal loss, I wondered – would we simply return to our private worlds of personal goals and aspirations or, when this was finally behind us, would we be able to hold onto the knowledge, and be comforted by the reality that we have all endured this parenthetical moment in time together?
Exhibition dates: July 17 - August 18, 2021 Studio 21, Upland CA
This work was culled from 40 consecutive Sunday editions from October 4, 2020 through July 4, 2021