John Williams - 'A Month of Sundays - Responses to the Covid-19 Lockdown' online exhibition at PhotospaceGallery.nz, April 2020 -

Going viral - John Williams

Novel Coronavirus, global pandemic, alert levels, alert level 4, lockdown, Covid-19, state of national emergency, social distancing, physical distancing, “go hard, go early”, protective isolation, quarantine, bubble, 2 metres, vulnerable people, essential businesses, wash your hands, essential workers, one-in-one-out, essential supplies, wage subsidy scheme, contact tracing, Dr Ashley Bloomfield, stay safe-stay at home, daily Covid-19 media conference, staying local, one per bubble per-trolley, working from home, flatten the curve, essential travel, hand sanitiser, PPE, Siouxsie Wiles…

These are some of the words and phrases that have seemingly come from nowhere to now form part of the lexicon of our daily lives. As someone who regularly photographs people some of the above phrases have proved challenging. However, daily walks, trips to the supermarket, the local dairy, a neighbourhood lawn party (now frowned upon) and visits to drop off food to my parents and father-in-law have all provided the opportunity to photograph people, for after all, that is who this virus claims as its victims.

John Williams 'Pilgrimage' at Photospace Gallery, 2016
John Williams on Exposed site

John Williams - Playground sign, Level 2, Petone, May 2020

Below: John Williams - Going Viral Level 2 series, May 2020

Below: John Williams - Going Viral Level 3 series, April-May 2020

Below: John Williams - Going Viral - portrait series

John Williams - PM announces end of alert level 4

John Williams - Family Easter Zoom

John Williams - Moera local

Below: John Williams - 'Going Viral' - second series, April 2020

Below: John Williams - Going Viral, Shopping series, March-April 2020
(Note: John is delivering groceries and prescriptions to elderly parents in different areas.)

Below: John Williams - Going Viral, public notices series, March-April 2020