Perfect Physical Distances by Alan Bern

My photograph Perfect Physical Distances was taken while I was on a fine trip with my wife to New York City in May 2018. This is the garden of the Merchant’s House Museum, 29 E 4th St, New York, NY 10003, sometimes used for weddings (http://merchantshouse.org). Both museum and garden are well worth a visit—still virtual at this time.

I photographed with an iPhone 8 Plus back dual camera 3.99mm f/1.

My notion for this image today: It shows “proper social/physical distancing,” absent the humans, of course. Photographs do indeed capture moments, but in this case I surely did not know in May 2018 that this moment would resonate with our pandemic condition today.

Alan Bern is a retired children’s librarian with three books of poetry: No no the saddest and Waterwalking in Berkeley from Fithian Press, and greater distance from Lines & Faces, his broadside press with artist Robert Woods. Alan has been shortlisted for several poetry and prose awards and has published in a variety of online and print publications. Alan’s story “The alleyway in the downtown library” was a runner-up for the Raw Art Review’s John H. Kim Memorial Prize for Short Fiction. Alan is also a photographer with a number of exhibits and publications, and performs with dancer/choreographer Lucinda Weaver as PACES: dance & poetry fit to the space, and with musicians from Composing Together. Find Alan on Instagram: @abobern, Facebook: alan.bern.1, Twitter: @AlanBern1, linesandfaces.com.