Pandemic within a Pandemic (2021)

My image is based on my attendance of the session “Pandemic within a Pandemic: How the HIV Community has Adapted during COVID-19,” which focused on the impact of COVID-19 on the HIV+ community.

The session emphasized the massive re-allocation of resources from HIV+ services to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the isolation that those living with HIV have experienced throughout this pandemic. I approached this with the intent of creating an editorial illustration – something simple, quickly readable, and visually impactful.

Using these two themes I painted a single discarded medical glove – a now-common sight during the pandemic. The outside of the glove is a traditional blue color, with the inside being a different color representative of the HIV+ community. This medical glove signifies the singularity of medical institutions during this pandemic despite the needs of the HIV+ community. This singular glove surrounded by COVID-19 is emblematic of the isolation of community members.

Process: I started by writing a summary of what was presented during the session to ensure I had an understanding of the session. I then went over the notes I took and looked for recurring words and themes within them. The three words that appeared most in my notes were: fear, isolation, and capacity.

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Mike Hooves

Mike Hooves is a prairie queer working in illustration, animation, and film in Calgary, Alberta. They received their bachelor of design from AUArts in 2016. Mike uses simple shapes, saturated colour, and gestural linework to create playful and engaging imagery that acknowledges queer aesthetic and signifiers.