Mother

The Mother series exemplifies my resolve to integrate the often contradictory personae of daughter, lover, wife, mother and object of desire. The pictures employed within the work are gathered from my family album and span the 20th century. Projecting these images upon the figure and photographing the resulting entanglement embraces the notion of mnemismus, that ones body carries the memories and histories of ones ancestry. It is that which blurs the distinction between nurture and nature. The codes by which one lives are not only passed down somatically through the blueprint of DNA, but psychologically through maternal bonding, particularly during that stage when a child has not yet distinguished his or her identity from that of the mother.

My body is the site upon which familial patterns have been genetically engrained and socially engraved, and it is the medium through which they persist. These patterns have marked me with an enduring palimpsest that is exposed within the work. The images that document gestures of maternal bonding adorn my body. The vulnerable state of naked imperfection merges with nude eroticism. Surrounding foliage becomes transparent lace, and is flirtatiously revealing. A scalloped photo border wraps around my thigh like a silk stocking. The images of my maternal ancestors distort my body, and in turn, my body distorts their image. This symbiosis forms a hybrid woman, one who possesses the virtuosity and fecundity of the Madonna as well as the inferred sexuality of her alter-ego, Mary Magdalene.

The female torso is a vessel that contains the vulva, womb, umbilical opening and breast. It is a site that is sought after by children and lovers alike, for not only is it a safe and nurturing place, but it is a locus for sexual gratification. This area has been the focal point of feminine identity throughout human history. The Venus of Willendorf is the oldest manifestation of this. Often referred to as a fertility goddess, her form emphasizes the reproductive nature of her figure. The hour-glass figure has been idealized and accentuated in Western culture throughout the centuries. The push-up bra, corset and girdle are accessories that modify such areas of the body.