Over the course of two weeks in September 2020, I documented the coronavirus pandemic in Denver with my 35mm Pentax film camera. As these photographs were taken and the film eventually developed, COVID cases spiked nationally, a looming election day approached, and Americans felt more uneasiness. It seemed like a dream – an anomaly not to be ignored. The country seemed to be in a state of turmoil. To be shown these images a year ago would have been unbelievably eerie - now they are the norm.
Before 2020, the earth was already in dire need of attention from its inhabitants. With single-use plastic becoming more prevalent due to the demands of COVID-19, our planet not only calls for attention – it’s crying out for action. ‘COVID-waste’ is threatening our environment. Plastic gloves and face masks, presumably used only once, are left with Mother Nature to deal with on the ground and in our oceans. In an interview with The Paris Review, E.B. White once said, “One role of the writer today is to sound the alarm. The environment is disintegrating, the hour is late, and not much is being done.” That was stated in 1969. While the primary focus this year has been on eradicating the virus and protecting our people, I set out to sound the alarm for the side of an epidemic that no one seems to be talking about.
