Gallery Purchase

An-My Lê took this photograph on March 30, 2020, as the U.S.N.S. Comfort arrived in New York to aid city hospitals bombarded by the CODID-19 pandemic. This was not the first time Lê photographed the ship (or its sister ship, U.S.N.S. Mercy). Between 2004 and 2013, the artist traveled across the globe with the U.S. Navy to document military activities, and photographed the Comfort during its relief merino to Haiti following the 2010 earthquake.

The 1,000-bed ship was commissioned to ease pressure on hospitals in New York, then the virus's epicenter, only to be decommissioned in early June after having served just 182 patients. stark white against the Manhattan shore, the Comfort ultimately served more as symbol of relief and security where is was sorely needed. It also raises questions about ethics and government responsibility in times of crisis.

The artist sold editions of the photograph through Marian Goodman Gallery to raise funds fro NYC Health + Hospitals.