Quarantine Chronicles: The Quarantine Nude
“I can't make work with my performance partner right now. I so miss holding onto her, laughing together while spinning fast in the air. I miss the crowded dressing rooms and spontaneous late-night conversations. I'm creating work at home now. I have to, I don't know any other way to exist.” – @kygwen
Seclude in the Nude © Kirra Cheers
Having others see you – as you want and need to be seen – verifies one’s sense of self. We are constantly distilling ourselves into bite-size iterations of our identity through a multitude of channels, be it virtual profiles, anecdotal stories that we feel are representative of our personality, or through self-portraiture.
During periods of extreme isolation, where comically, even, it can feel as if you’re disappearing from the social fabric of your world like Marty McFly’s parents dissolving from a photograph – feeling recognized can be all the more important. It seems as if everyone is validating their existence in their own unique way: e.g., posting on social media, connecting with old friends, documenting this time with selfies, blog posts, and other artistic creations. Kirra Cheers newest project, Seclude in the Nude, responds to this overwhelming desire to feel seen. She tells me that she hopes her work will “serve as a time capsule to remember this moment in history.” However, I believe she does more than just serve as a documentarian.
“Six weeks ago, I sat on my couch with a friend. ‘People we know are going to die,’ I said. Not even two weeks later, my aunt passes. I still can’t wrap my head around the idea. Just seeing and hearing the words – they don’t make sense to me. Surely, it must be a nightmare. I see the people outside without masks, drinking haphazardly in the park without a care in the world. This has greatly changed me. It is our duty to stay inside and protect each other. Yes, it’s not ideal to stay inside for months, but at least we can sit on the couch and watch TV. She can’t.” – @rosequartzburlesque @theveronicaviper2
Seclude in the Nude © Kirra Cheers
Born in Australia and residing in New York City, Kirra Cheers (b. 1987) is a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores themes of connection and sexuality within an urban dating culture. This pandemic and resulting shelter-in-place mandate in New York City has presented Kirra with a unique opportunity to capture intimate moments during this unprecedented period of isolation. Kirra uses the nude as a mode of story-telling and to communicate immediate vulnerability and transparency between artist, subject, and audience.
“I’ve lost count of the days. I am not working now, like many artists, and I have no idea what the future looks like. Some days are spent making headway on projects and others are not so productive. I’m trying to be okay with all of it. But I do love contrast, and the conflicting idea of being naked and lit at night, intentionally exhibiting myself to my neighborhood while having a conversation through a closed window on a cellphone with someone I can see on the sidewalk. It’s exactly what this whole experience has felt like: more isolated, more exposed, but also more connected than ever.” – @zepeinthecity
Seclude in the Nude © Kirra Cheers
“The images capture a need for people to feel seen and connected to one another despite and because of the necessity for social distancing,” Kirra writes in her artist statement. More than just connecting with New York City locals who want to strip down and bear all for the camera – she is gaining access into the private spheres of the New-York-City-Dweller, hermitting due to the recent COVID restrictions. As she’s shooting their portraits through windows – tripod assembled and cell-phone in hand – she’s asking them questions about their quarantine experience, checking-in, and fulfilling a secondary need of being heard. The dissolution of the barrier between her and her subjects is evident in her photographs.
“Being pregnant in quarantine is something I never thought I’d experience. It’s a constant reminder that life indeed does go on. The anxiety and fears are real, but I’m comforted by the thought that I’m not alone. I wanted to keep performing burlesque on stage as long as I could through my pregnancy. I wanted to see what this pregnant body could do. I’m still dancing and moving. It’s what keeps me sane and feeling good.” – @jillieleigh
Seclude in the Nude © Kirra Cheers
At first glance, these voyeuristic, lush images are so visually stimulating – the neon hues may distract from the substance and affection of these photographs. As you examine the environment of each New Yorker’s habitat – the window grates, the brick facade of the building, the frayed curtain which hangs with the same desperation as its subject – you are transported into the closeted world of each quarantiner. You get to know their home by a nightside reading lamp, a yellow cup on the window sill, and are allowed entry into their abodes – where they, perhaps like you, are alone and striving to do the best they can during a difficult time.
“I found out I was losing my job at the end of February. Then my husband got sick. I remember driving him to the ER after he fainted in our kitchen after days of spiking fevers and night sweats. He was so weak that I had to walk him to hospital doors before being turned away at the threshold by security. I went back to my car and cried. What the fuck just happened to my life? Two months later and we’re both healthy. I landed a remote design gig that pays the bills. There’s unexpected freedom in this new life. In quarantine, I feel like creativity finally has room to breathe.” – @jillieleigh
Seclude in the Nude © Kirra Cheers
Kirra Cheers reflects on what this project has done for her as a creative during quarantine. “From a personal perspective, it can be hard to be creative amidst so much uncertainty. The project has given me purpose and structure as the days have a tendency to blur together. Connecting with people in this manner has been a surreal experience.” This is an ongoing project for Kirra and she urges people to reach out to her if they’re a New Yorker looking to drop their knickers and finally be seen.
“As a closet introvert, I can admit that transitioning into the “new normal” may have been easier for myself than the large share of my friends and colleagues. I enjoy finding new ways to continue connecting and creating with people to make art together during the quarantine.” – @theblueeyedbombshell
Seclude in the Nude © Kirra Cheers
You can view more of Kirra Cheers work here.
