Six Feet Apart But Still Together

The future can be difficult to predict. Back in early March not many of us would have thought that we would still be facing an almighty battle against Covid as Christmas appears on the horizon but that is where find ourselves. As we know, there are wide variations in the number of cases and rate of infection from country to country, state to state and city to city. New York City has done a good job of getting things under control and we have now emerged from the truly frightening first months of the pandemic in to a calmer but still dangerous period. We have all had to make adjustments to the way we live to keep ourselves, our loved ones and the other people that we share the city with safe. We have all had to remain vigilant and behave appropriately. We understand that simple steps that become habits can make a big difference to us all. New York City always shows resolve in such situations. As a photographer, I am always drawn to the street as a place to capture the mood of the moment. I have never experienced a year like this one. Besides the huge impact of Covid of life on the streets, we have witnessed activities relating to the Black Lives Matter movement, the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, climate change, the Presidential Election campaigns and the associated vote drive. As well as providing the stage for activities, the streets participate, observe and comment on these societal changes through posters, murals, graffiti and signage. These are the cave paintings of our modern society. At some point the cave paintings will fade away or be covered by new ones, the plywood palaces where we sit bravely grabbing a meal or a drink will be disassembled and the small circle on the floor of the post office where we stand patiently waiting in line to buy a stamp will be a distant memory. Until then we stand six feet apart but still together.