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Some People May Die (2021)
Audio Description
Ian Hazzard
Collage (unframed)
29.7 x 42 cm
$250
Artist’s Notes
For this collage, I was originally going to focus on the #PostTruth world we live in, shaped by lies from politicians, spread by the media (mainstream and social) and consumed by a gullible public. That seemed too wide-ranging and frankly too depressing, so my focus narrowed to vaccinations to more closely link to the linocut prints.
If 2020 was defined by the Covid Virus, 2021 will be defined by the Covid Vaccine. In Australia it will also be defined by how badly the vaccine rollout has been handled. Confusion about which vaccine people will receive, the number of doses available and the constant changing of dates, amplified by a media focused on sensationalism, has led to mistrust by many in the community. As I write this, many people in phases 1a and 1b (that includes people with a significant disability) have still not been vaccinated and others have jumped the queue or received a different brand of vaccine. As many as 30% of the population has claimed they won’t be vaccinated!
The government has done nothing to alleviate concerns but is more intent on spin and photo opportunities than telling the truth and accepting responsibility. But I guess that’s to be expected in the #PostTruth world we now live in.
2021 will also be remembered for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault getting lots of coverage and hopefully solutions can be found soon.
Curator’s Notes
‘Some People May Die‘ by Ian Hazzard echoes the chillingly familiar cry of the “abled” and the conservative governments. It is a clear reaction to the lack of empathy or thought for innate human worth that was made starkly obvious during the 2020 pandemic. Marginalised peoples have always been familiar with this concept. “Sure you may suffer your entire life, but you are just a disabled person, you don’t matter enough to help.” “Sure millions of AFABs may suffer with endometriosis but icky feminist girl hormones are confusing, so who cares about their constant agony?” Sure, you are in constant danger of being murdered, but you aren’t white so…” the truth is so painful it doesn’t bear repeating.