Initiated by a commision from Historic England and employment in an Amazon warehouse, due to the COVID 19 pandemic. Masked: A portrait of Amazon is both social documentary of the COVID 19 Pandemic. Recorded through a typology of 136 masked portraits with written personal comments. And an artists reflection and interpretation of the personal impact and experiences of the pandemic and Lockdown explored through self portraits and still life photographs.
Five pieces of work are held in the Historic England Archive.
The artist's reflection comprises of a series of performative portraits and still life photographs of the 64 face masks and ephemera I was provided with whilst working at Amazon.
The photographs are a reflection of my doubts, frustrations, anxieties, the change in identity, the lack of control over lockdown and decisions made. The relinquishing of 17 years self employed independence, to work nights as an Amazon Associate at Amazon's MAN 3 Fulfillment Center In the North West of England.
Whilst fortunate to be in a position to earn an income, there was a palpable tension brought on by the restrictions of the Pandemic, the lockdown and the restrictions of employment. Clocking in, Clocking out, timed breaks, compounded by the uncomfortable but necessary safety measures. Wearing masks for 10 hr shifts, doing manual tasks, struggling to communicate with only eye contact and muffled voices, quickly becomes overbearing.
The typology of 130 portraits comprises
of associates from over 25 different nationalities. Participants had worked at Amazon from as little as 2 days, to as much as four years. Each participant was asked to write down two ways they had been affected personally by COVID 19 and Lockdown. This ranged from missing the gym, to close family members dying from COVID-19. The opportunity to document participants' thoughts and feelings gives control of the narrative to the individual participants offering a different agenda to that of the media and politicians, creating a record of people in their own words.
Five pieces of work are held in the Historic England Archive.
The artist's reflection comprises of a series of performative portraits and still life photographs of the 64 face masks and ephemera I was provided with whilst working at Amazon.
The photographs are a reflection of my doubts, frustrations, anxieties, the change in identity, the lack of control over lockdown and decisions made. The relinquishing of 17 years self employed independence, to work nights as an Amazon Associate at Amazon's MAN 3 Fulfillment Center In the North West of England.
Whilst fortunate to be in a position to earn an income, there was a palpable tension brought on by the restrictions of the Pandemic, the lockdown and the restrictions of employment. Clocking in, Clocking out, timed breaks, compounded by the uncomfortable but necessary safety measures. Wearing masks for 10 hr shifts, doing manual tasks, struggling to communicate with only eye contact and muffled voices, quickly becomes overbearing.
The typology of 130 portraits comprises
of associates from over 25 different nationalities. Participants had worked at Amazon from as little as 2 days, to as much as four years. Each participant was asked to write down two ways they had been affected personally by COVID 19 and Lockdown. This ranged from missing the gym, to close family members dying from COVID-19. The opportunity to document participants' thoughts and feelings gives control of the narrative to the individual participants offering a different agenda to that of the media and politicians, creating a record of people in their own words.
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135 imagesA selection of the 136 portraits of Amazon Associates photographed during the COVID 19 Pandemic. -
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