Fridge Zoom (2020-2021) is a collection of vernacular snapshots of the inside of fridges and freezers during the initial stay-at-home orders of the coronavirus. I asked friends and family around the world to send me intimate domestic vignettes during a time when many people were spending more time in their kitchens. Fridge Zoom is rooted in collaboration and connection; thus, I encouraged photographers of all levels to submit, from those using a full-frame mirrorless to a cell phone camera. Using the idea that anything you have on hand could be usable, I thought back to Hito Steryl’s In Defense of the Poor Image. Steyerl says, “Poor images present a snapshot of the affective condition of the crowd, its neurosis, paranoia, and fear, as well as its craving for intensity, fun, and distraction.” Fridge Zoom is made of “poor images” that illustrate social patterns of kitchens during the coronavirus pandemic, connecting humanity through our essential need to eat and how this reveals socioeconomic differences.

An installation of Fridge Zoom was featured in The Fridge Show, curated by The Rule of 3 at Garrison Art Center (Garrison, NY) in Fall 2021. The left wall includes fridges from the United States, and the right wall from around the world.