Together Apart

Together Apart is an ongoing documentary photography series which records the everyday experiences of the Wollongong community as they collectively navigate the stress and volatility of COVID19. Combining personal stories and portraits it is a moving history of Wollongong during the pandemic. This project initially documented the early stages of the pandemic, with portraits of households photographed on their front yards, and interviewed via Facebook Messenger about the challenges they were facing under COVID-19. The resulting portraits and stories were posted to a dedicated Facebook page, creating a dynamic feedback loop. With each post more people got involved, sharing the project with their friends, and contributing their own stories, building a rich archive of embodied local experiences. The series is now expanding, revisiting these same households to create new portraits. Moving beyond their front lawns, into their homes and backyards, documenting the new circumstances the households have found themselves in and the contrast created in the intervening months. Together Apart was selected for the Mass Isolation Australia 2020 publication for the Ballarat International Foto Biennale, and the 2020 Vision exhibition in the Head On Photo Festival.