Welcome to no. 19 in our series Poignant Pics where we've asked photo curators, educators, collectors, and makers to share a brief essay on a photo that has significantly changed the way they think or look at the world.

In this issue, Diana Nicholette Jeon, who recently joined One Twelve as an editor, talks about Alfred Brandl’s image, “Shemsije/Pharmacist”, from his series, “Silent Heroes” and how she felt when seeing it.

To wear, or not to wear…

Masks. They are such a political hot button in the US right now. Every social media platform, every newscast or newspaper has articles and commentary referencing masks. Why we need to wear them. Why we need to reject them. What they do for us. What they do to us. What it says about us when we wear one. What it says about us when we choose not to.

As I was browsing Instagram last week, not looking for anything in particular, a masked image went by. It stopped me. It made me curious. As I looked at more of this series of diptychs entitled Silent Heroes, I was instantly moved by the dichotomy. I wondered: Why are the person’s eyes closed on the one side? Why is the same person masked on the other? What was this about?

Other than articles about shortages of PPE for essential and medical workers, we do not get much data about those who must wear them, those who must do their job to keep the rest of us going. I have a particular interest in this area as my husband is employed in the Hawaiian seafood industry. From the start of shelter in place here, he was classified as an essential worker, given a letter to show to public officials who might have stopped him as he drove to or from work during off-limits hours. He was and still is risking his health for his job, to keep income coming in for us, and food flowing to Hawai’i residents, even when some of the conditions he worked/s under did/do not meet safety standards. Another family member is also employed at the same place. Yet another works on a different Hawai’i island in another role that is deemed “essential.” These are not jobs that can be done from home as mine as an artist can be. It was and still is a scary thing for all of us in our family to have our relatives face the pandemic head-on.

As I looked at each diptych in this series, I read what Alfred had written. A name. A job. A comment about the person being a “silent hero.” I decided to write Alfred and ask more about the project, if only because masks are such an issue here right now in the U.S.

In response to my questions he said, “At the beginning of the pandemic, I sat at home and wondered what I could do about the situation. Then I remembered a statement of one of my former lecturers. He said: ‘You have to look closely.’ At this moment, the doorbell rang and a postman handed me over a parcel. I told him about a project that I am currently working on. Until then, I didn't know myself about the project. It formed in my mind, the moment I spoke about it.

I asked why the people all looked so Caucasian. He responded, “In Germany, most people just look caucasian! In terms of the story, it didn’t matter, which ethnicities the people I portrayed belong to or where they have their roots. Skin color wasn't a question in my project at all. I chose the people solely for the fact, that they had systemically relevant jobs and that they were risking catching the virus while doing them. One of the portrayed persons came originally from Turkey, another one from Ukraine, but this didn't mean anything to me.”

I asked how he went about getting subjects to pose for him. He replied, “I told them my view of the situation and I let them see in my mind. They were surprised and most of them reacted emotionally because there was someone who cared about them and who acknowledged what risks they take by simply doing their jobs during the pandemic. The idea was to give them a stage. It is them who serve us, the community. They have been doing that for years, but only now we see them.

My final question was about the closed eyes he portrayed. Alfred said, “The series portrays the uncertainty and helplessness which people experience when faced with the invisible threat of the COVID-19 virus. At the same time, the “Silent Heroes” sequel also appears as a testimony acknowledging people's courage – especially the courage of those people, who are exposed daily to the Coronavirus through their professions. I wanted to give a stage to people who otherwise often go unseen and unheard of, although we encounter them every day. Within the hustle of our everyday life, I created two moments of actual seeing within the normal. The photographs echo the calm and strength of those depicted, uncovering the silence, amplifying the special. The duality of the series is a strong statement about the fragility of the person behind the facial covering. Showing each person twice, I offer a glimpse of the variety of each person. What would the person look like, not wearing a mask? Is it only now that we both look at each other in the eye?”

And with that, I leave you to consider the Essential, Silent, Heroes that live in your own lives. Masked and Unmasked.

— Diana Nicholette Jeon

About the artist

Alfred Brandl is a photographer based in the St Pauli district of Hamburg, Germany. About his work, he writes, “This moment connecting the person in front of the camera and me is my reason for taking photographs. No matter what reason brought the two of us together – it is this very moment, which is important to me.  The images evolving are snapshots in time, these instants render things visible which are invisible in other accounts. In my images, I capture the depth of these short connecting moments. The „in-between“ (of the person in front of the camera and me) shows in the images – a unique variation of visualization evolves.  With a glance at the images something happens – if I was successful, that is – something really special: The ‘in-between’ becomes obvious to the beholder, he or she can feel it. My works reflect unspeakable moments and offer the beholder an according to plane of reflection. They are an opportunity for creating connections beyond conventions and traditions and opening new spaces.” You can find more of his work at alfredbrandl.com.

About the author

Diana Nicholette Jeon is a Honolulu, HI based artist and an editor at One Twelve. She was awarded her MFA in Imaging and Digital Art from the University of Maryland at Baltimore County in 2006. Jeon's work has been extensively exhibited; venues include the Museo di Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, the Griffin Museum, the Honolulu Museum of Art, the Hawaii State Art Museum and the Museo de Lamego. Awards include four Hawaii SFCA Purchase Awards, the International Photo Awards, the 11th Julia Margaret Cameron award, the Pollux Award and the Mobile Photo Awards. Jeon’s art has been featured in a wide array of publications, including Artdocs, Gente di Fotografia, SHOTS Magazine, the Art Photo Index, and Lens Culture.