Sean Jackson’s new series is a collection of images capturing New York during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, between 13 March and 10 May. The images explore fragile urban ecosystems, imagining the possibility that nature might flourish whilst human beings are held indoors.
The works were inspired by an original poem by Alberto Ríos, Faithful Forest, that was displayed in New York subways as part of the Poetry in Motion initiative. The images are melchanolic and isolated, ruminating around empty streets, tree poking through wire and gloved hands pressed against windows.
Jackson notes: “I first read the poem whilst making pictures inside an empty subway car during the peak of the pandemic. New York had selected a group of prominent authors and poets to fill the advertising space between trains, never giving any thought to the possibility of a global lockdown and where that may leave their words stranded. Despite the loneliness, Alberto’s story struck me with optimism and never left, I began to imagine the city through a different lens.”
He continues: “I imagine myself working in investigative journalism and developing stories all over the world; using the camera as a key to unlock mysterious doors, rooms into which I would be otherwise uninvited. Professionally, I’ve studied under a handful masterful photographers, built more than my fair share of darkrooms, pushed paper at CNN and ABC, all while refining my key. Everything else is just my imagination.”
Sean Jackson is an American photographer and filmmaker based in New York. He is deeply interested in documenting small groups of people and exploring intimate relationships.
seanjacksonphotography.com
@sean.andrew.jackson
Credits:
1. Images courtesy of Sean Jackson and ALMA Communications.
