Chloe Harris: AMAZON PRINT SERIES: A Lockdown Perspective 2021 #4
INTRODUCTION
One thing is for certain, and that is that the longer this National Lockdown continues, the greater the need there will be for people and organisations to change the way they operate when finally we open up again. BasementArtsProject is well placed to weather the current storm as we have no operational overheads to cover. We own our space - so no need to cover rent for a closed venue, We have no staff except myself - so no need to furlough anyone. The only overhead really is the cost of the website to ensure that we can continue to do things such as the ‘Lockdown Journal’. The only way in which we come off badly is that we have to abide by the government’s household mixing guidelines, which when it gets to that point, I am sure that we will be last on the list.
But in the meantime we will push on with what projects we can, such as the virtual gallery online to act as an interim project for Nicholas Vaughan, due to exhibit in December 2020 but now postponed until November 2021, household mixing guidelines permitting.
It will also mean that we will have to look at the timeline for the entire roster of artists programmed for 2020, now displaced into a theoretical 2021 programme. We will keep our audience apprised of the situation as we know more. Typically in the world of independent and grassroots art nothing stands still, and even with a full programme on hold I am constantly taking proposals for new projects.
Back in December, a week or so before Christmas and between lockdowns, I was lucky enough to meet with print artist Chloe Harris, a recent habitué of the city of Leeds, and someone for whom the word enthusiastic seems inadequate. During our socially distant chat at either end of Bumpman’s log outside of the Henry Moore Institute, we discussed Chloe’s work, what brought her to Leeds and ideas for future projects. Things being as they were we could not put any reliable dates on the Real-World at that point, and unfortunately we still can’t, but we did discuss an online project until such point as we are able to do otherwise.
What follows is the fourth instalment in an ongoing series of blogpost’s showing the development of a series of prints based on her key worker life during lockdown. Whilst we have all been locked away from each other in an attempt to stem the virus, there are many who have occupied key positions in ensuring that essential services continue uninterrupted. Like many who work in the arts, Chloe Harris is an artist who, even in normal times, has to lead a double life to make a living. For many working in the arts, the idea of making a living from their art is just that, an idea, something to aspire to, a desirable outcome. But, as is often the case other jobs are needed to keep the lights on at home. Chloe has found herself in the situation of being simultaneously locked down as an artist, whilst occupying the position of a key worker with Amazon. It is this that has led her to develop a series of prints that through her art life give a sense of her key worker life.
Bruce Davies | February 2021
CORONACOASTER - TO THE DOCKS
Coronacoaster - To The Docs. 17th February 2021
It had been busy into LOCKDOWN 3 after Christmas. This lockdown meant we still had a high demand (In 2020, the amount spent in online retail sales increased by 46.1% when compared with 2019 - the largest annual increase since 2008) - significantly less than Christmas though. After a cut back of warehouse workers the decrease in parcel volume since Christmas hasn’t meant that work is less demanding.
There has been much electronic item sales into January- probably still the most frequent category of items I see coming through.
WIFI extensions - are telling that we remain in a lockdown
January/ February is apparently the biggest online clearance at Amazon, and represents the “Best opportunity to find the biggest deals in their online store”
Classic features of an AMAZON WAREHOUSE are evident in this print - like the orange “PALLET TRUCK” used for pulling filled containers.
A parcel’s destination is indicated by the LABELS in white .
Each yellow polled BOOTH is for individual workers (Corona precaution)
More of the CORONA PRECAUTIONS will be depicted in next works.
New screens have been put in place for further Cornoa measures. These seperate the amount of people, reducing crowding around the loading areas after taking full containers to the “DOCS” where lorry’s distribute to another sorting centre. Corona tests are also available, as an option, on site during your shift. About 40 per cent of the staff have taken a corona test from Amazon.
More of the CORONA PRECAUTIONS will be depicted in the next works.