hypoxia | lockdown - wynne palmer

hypoxia | lockdown

project description

On March 24, 2020 in the province of British Columbia, Canada the Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth declared a State of Emergency due to the Covid-19 pandemic progressing in its sweep of the globe since mid 2019. In his address, Farnworth mentions Dr. Bonnie Henry, the provincial health officer, who has since become a very familiar face and media celebrity with her daily Covid-19 reports.

Covid 19 Pandemic Cases | 12.31.2020

BC - 51,300 cases; 893 deaths

Canada - 581K cases; 15,606 deaths

Worldwide - 82.3M cases; 1.82M deaths

With tighter restrictions on public interaction and movement this past year, it has been very challenging to make art in lockdown when I normally wander for long walks shooting outdoors in the Lower Mainland. I had decided to use my limited modes of public access this year as a creative challenge in my process by shooting photos of the silent urban landscapes of North Vancouver from the window of my car, or just beside it. These 12 infrared photographs were pared down from 8 months of shooting neighborhoods either on my way to or from my weekly shopping. All audio recordings are of my neighbourhood in North Vancouver just outside of my home. Recordings are 1 minute in length, unedited for rawness and recorded at EXACTLY 7pm PST every evening from March 28 through April 7, 2020.

hypoxia 1.0

wynne palmer · 20200327

artist statement

Air and unobstructed breathing has been an ongoing concern in light of the symptoms and illness that is Covid-19. Mandatory mask-wearing in public and restrictions on public performances and singing has also unfortunately restricted our 'voice' and human expression.

The 7 o'clock 'noise makers and pot-bangers' are a record of the public display of acknowledgement and appreciation for the local healthcare workers, who have been burdened with unkown risks while treating patients with this highly virulent illness. The hospital in my neighborhood is only 10 blocks away and every night the workers change shift at exactly 7pm and hear this scheduled explosion of noise from windows and balconies and yards, while the streets remain empty! These hidden and unseen human noises, sounds, music, and vocalizations becomes incongruent and a paradox to the visually vacant urban landscapes in which you would normally expect to see crowds and hear such carcophanies.