2020 was a turning point for many as it marked the start of the Coronavirus Pandemic. During the first lockdown, there was fear and anxiety as the virus spread rapidly. People spent their time over lockdown in different ways, some kept a diary, others baked, and many developed a new hobby.
This was an uncertain time for all as we anxiously followed the news for updates and spent several hours a day on social media. It was also the year a lawyer and an artist formed the Lawyers Arts Club.
By the end of 2020, a vaccine had been developed to tackle the virus in an attempt to restore some level of normality. Two doses were required of the initial produced vaccines, AstraZeneca and Pfizer and the rollout began. It was important first to Vaccinate the elderly and frontline health workers. People were categorised into groups in order to vaccinate the most vulnerable first, the vaccine rollout was mostly successful, and many had received their first vaccine by the end of June 2021. Some however were apprehensive about the Vaccine because of several reasons including the brief time it took to develop, and some refused on religious grounds and this caused controversy. Vaccinationism is a movement that arose to respond and analyse the numerous exemptions and reasons why someone might not take the Vaccine while addressing the government pressure of many to take it. Vaccinationism explores how some people might be treated differently because they are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated.
Vaccinationism is a term that was coined my MP Sir Desmond Swayne in the house of commons; the term broadly means the policies and rules that arose because of mandatory vaccinations. Most recently it became mandatory for all care workers to have the vaccine. By refusing the vaccine, many will lose their job, causing immense gaps in an already struggling National Health Service. This has sparked outrage amongst some health workers as it appears to take away their right of choice and consequently punishes them by taking away their employment. Others argue that by refusing the vaccine, these care workers are trusting conspiracy theories over science, being brandished as Anti-vaxxers. Many vaccinated health workers echo these anxieties as it will lead to a further stretching of an already overwhelmed NHS; with predicted losses of thousands, it will cause the situation to reach a critical level meaning the quality of care provided will deplete substantially. The row over vaccinations continues as masses of angered people take to the streets in protest.
Day to day life changed significantly because of the pandemic, with many spending months away from loved ones as per government guidelines. It was a terrifying and uncertain period and one that was unlike anything people had seen in previous generations. The restricting of everyday freedoms by the government was arduous and in hindsight hypocritical. The world was cascaded into isolation; galleries and museums were among many other places who had to close their doors for a lengthy period. The culture and arts sector has yet to fully recover with many delays in opening galleries leading to an interest in virtual tours. A virtual tour is when one can explore a venue through a digital platform thus allowing it to be enjoyed safely but also with limits because you are simply unable to peruse the Museum/Gallery freely. Virtual tours became popular during the pandemic as they allowed art to still be enjoyed while people were confined to their homes.
During lockdown, some people took the time to re-evaluate their lives with some even changing vocation entirely and others choosing not to work at all, it was a time of recollection for many. Some began working from home, adapting their living spaces to make offices and home-schooling stations for their children. Others adapted their homes into places to exercise, with many taking online exercise classes. Life suddenly became very limiting as people were told to stay indoors. Some turned to Art to both pass time and provide a record of events as they unfolded. Many artistic skills were developed during the pandemic with some learning new crafts such as: Knitting, Mosaic, Sketching and embroidery – to name but a few.
Artists chose to capture the crucial parts of the pandemic as it was unfurling, through photography, murals, paintings, and digital pieces. Emotive and real; the images were often of isolated loved one's meeting through a window or at a considerable distance. Some pieces were celebratory of the NHS such as images of keyworkers alongside comic book superheroes, later pieces were reactionary to the controversial ruling of mandatory vaccines, and some were simple rainbows painted onto their windows in recognition of the NHS. Art became a prevalent and necessary way for people to express themselves. The content of artwork produced changed significantly over the course of the pandemic as emotional tributes became resentment and frustration. A notable piece of art that represents the beginning of the pandemic was by legendary street artist Banksy, the piece which appeared at Southampton general hospital depicts a child playing with a toy nurse instead of the comic book superheroes ‘Spider-man’ and ‘Batman’ which lay discarded in a basket in the background. The piece symbolises how the NHS staff were commended near the start of the pandemic, the artwork even became the cover of the anthology book “Dear NHS: 100 stories to say thank you.” The staff were commemorated with concerts and discounts to express gratitude for fighting from the frontline. In reflection the piece represents innocence and hope which was a key message at the beginning of the pandemic. However, as the Vaccinationism situation changes, the message of hope and heroism has soured with many NHS staff set to lose their job before April 2022.
Historians will one day look back at the time we are living in, and there will be no shortage of material for them to revise. From online video blogs to private diaries and artwork- there will be plenty of documentation surrounding the time we are living in and archived evidence of how people responded to the almost apocalyptic series of events. Historians will consult books and articles for information of laws and rulings alongside infinite online content. The inclusion of the internet in many households means that this pandemic was different to other times of global struggle in history. Technology became a crucial part of how people spent their lockdown months, for some it meant education could resume while with others it allowed them a distraction from the world outside. Despite this the internet also became a place of moral panic and addiction to some as they became submerged in online gambling, shopping or simply just to scrolling continuously for news updates and reassurance. The internet also allowed people to communicate and document the events as they occurred. A great deal of comfort could be found in following someone's Lockdown Vlogs, especially if you lived alone. Having the internet and video calling has meant that people can stay connected with relatives and friend’s during periods of isolation and the three national lockdowns.
We are currently entering the third year of the pandemic and issues of mandatory vaccinations and job losses have struck a chord with a number of artists. At the Lawyers Arts Club, our artists have produced discursive pieces centred around Vaccinationism. Some pieces reacted to fears of potential segregation of the Unvaccinated from the Vaccinated. We believe it is important for Artist’s to produce these pieces as it documents numerous sides of the ongoing debate. By creating pieces of work that reflect the artist’s opinion, it allows them to express concern that may be felt by others. Some of the pieces in Vaccinationism look at ways that other professions might be affected by the mandatory vaccinations and vaccine passports. Currently new guidelines have been announced which remove the need for vaccination passports to enter many venues. This change in rules comes after a significant decrease of recorded cases but is also a reminder of previous events where cases have spiralled.
Furthermore, as an Art organisation rooted in Law, we believe it is imperative to create artwork that displays alternative opinions whilst remaining unbiased as a club. We recognise opinions and feelings through the emotive medium of artwork. A topic as divisive as Vaccinationism allows a unique variation of artistic styles to flourish. It is important to produce and showcase these art works as it will allow future historians to understand additional opinions that may not have been noted in official written history. Additionally, by creating pieces that are revolutionary in challenging rules- we are contributing to the change that may unfurl. News coverage especially allows future historians to look at how events escalated as they offer impartial coverage about the pandemic. Art however does not need to be impartial; it can bend opinion by designing fantastic worlds or tweak popular culture to convey a message to the audience. At the LAC (Lawyers Arts Club), we believe it is important to document the time we are living in and as a company we want to share these opinions and arguments through the work we produce. Vaccinationism has been such a fascinating topic and one which has inspired numerous artworks. Topical and relevant, Vaccinationism has continued discussions around the moral and ethical responsibility that the government has.
As life reverts slowly back to a place of normality; the idea of normal has changed. With many continuing to work from home; others have gotten used to mask wearing and social distancing. A reprieve of mask wearing guidance will come into place on 27th January 2022, it will be the second time that ‘Freedom’ day has happened during the pandemic, the first was July 19th, 2021, after a prolonged third Lockdown. Scepticism plagues the masses as a fear of cases rising continues to cause anxiety. With many choosing to continue wearing a mask for an indefinite period, the consequence of covid is still unsettling to some. Now it remains a challenging time for many, mentally and physically the repercussions of Covid-19 continue to affect people from long covid to the anxieties about re-entering the social world. Not only will these reverberations affect treatments and surgeries on the ever-growing waiting list, but it will also affect the way people live from day to day. As we learn to live alongside the virus,
The pandemic may be nearing its end, but the future is unclear. The repercussions of the past few years will be immortalised by artwork, literary exploits, and photography. The third year of the pandemic will hopefully be the last, but the future remains unclear. It is important to document the events as they unfold as it will provide future historians a means to understand what people were feeling.
As History is made, it is fascinating to contemplate what the historians will say in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Social History is often driven by the words of people who witnessed times of national struggle first-hand. Historians will, of Course, have insight of a future that we have not yet lived and therefore will be able to form opinions and theories. They may look at Vaccinationism from a perspective of human rights or indeed maintain a more scientific approach. It is important to continue creating as it will allow the timeline of events to be clearer. For now, however, Vaccinationism remains a topic that is controvertible.
Article by Dana Archer.