Artist uses photography to capture hardships, humor of pandemic

A local artist is using his photography to tell his COVID story and capture the hardships and humor of the pandemic.

The Museum of the City of New York has opened a new exhibit focused on the concept of what home means to New Yorkers. Part of the collection like at the pandemic and the ongoing challenges left in its wake.

“New York Now: Home” features photography and video works made over the past several years that capture the changes across the five boroughs.

The artists featured capture the experiences of New Yorkers and shed light on life in the city before, during and after the pandemic.

Neil Kramer is a photographer who captured the drastic changes we all experienced during the pandemic by documenting his personal experience in the spring of 2020.

“It was definitely an experience of love and dealing with family responsibility during a traumatic time,” Neil said.

Neil’s mom and ex-wife came to stay with him for what was supposed to be a short visit.

“Then March hits, Queens was the epicenter of the pandemic,” Neil said.

The trio hunkered down inside Neil’s two-bedroom apartment in Queens and he started taking pictures. He said it was his way of coping with the seismic shift in how we all lived.

“This was what we did to calm our nerves and to be artistic,” Neil said.

At first, the images were light in nature, but after about a year the tone was heavier as things changed in his building.

“People died on our floor we got a little lonely,” Neil said.

Some of Neil’s images tie back to real moments that he’s recreated. He’s still documenting the aftermath of the pandemic and posting it all on Instagram where to his surprise he gets messages from strangers.

“It makes me more aware for many people the pandemic is not exactly over,” Neil said.

The exhibit is on view through August and tickets can be purchased at the museum’s website.

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