Quarantine in Queens

In March, 2020, my Queens, New York neighborhood became the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak. Through unusual circumstances, I found myself living in my two-bedroom, one bathroom apartment with my 86-year-old mother from Florida and my ex-wife from Los Angeles. We couldn't go out to shop for food, and it seemed like I couldn't even take a bath without my mother or my ex-wife walking in on me. That's when I got the idea to document our confinement in a project titled "Quarantine in Queens.” My first intention was to shoot documentary-style, but what seemed to work better artistically was a form of tableau, where we would restage our uncomfortable daily experiences for the camera, focusing on the humor and absurdity of our situation. The project became a form of family therapy.. As I became more adept at tethering and shooting with a timer, I added myself to the photos, dipping my feet into self-portraiture. The tone of the photos turned darker as the months passed, reflecting the mood of American society. Four hundred days later, my family is still collaborating on "Quarantine in Queens." What started out as self-therapy has become a visual commentary on caregiving, love, and family responsibility during an unusual historical period.