During this unprecedented lockdown most of us are spending a lot more time at home than usual. Home has become the space where the many different aspects of our everyday existence collide, whether in real or virtual space. Work, school, care, play, leisure, exercise, and interaction with family and friends now all take place at home.
While some of us may live alone, others share space with large family groups or house mates. And although everyone’s situation is different, most of us recognise the concerns and anxieties that have come to affect our daily lives, from loneliness and social tension to worries about health and money. What is certain is that this disorienting new reality has intensified the relationship we have with our homes.
At best, homes can offer comfort, safety, warmth, a place of pride, respite and belonging. At worst, they can be unsafe, insecure, inadequate or inhospitable. To be photographed at home is, as such, an intimate affair.