PORTRAITS IN A TIME OF SOCIAL DISTANCING

Portraits in a Time of Social Distancing is an investigation into my portraiture practice during a time of isolation and restrictions.

With Provincial COVID-19 restrictions in place and my own fear of the virus, I made the decision to take on portraiture with the tool of the moment: ZOOM a video communication platform.

I created a diptych to represent both the sitter and the virtual space of the photographer in the portrait session.

My sitters’ rooms - where they would have the virtual meetings - became my studio set and the screen capture function on my laptop became my camera. On the left side of the diptych I present the portrait of my sitter looking at their present self on the screen of their device. On the right side of the diptych I present the capture directly behind the lens of their device representing the place where I (the photographer) would have been standing if I was present to take their portrait. 

I would like to acknowledge that this body of work could not have been achieved without the support of the many sitters who gave of their time to support my creative inquiry.

Thank you to all who sat for me to create this body of work.

This body of work now resides in the Public Art Collection of the City of Ottawa.