The Artist Mother Tension: The Days are Long and The Years are Short, is an
examination of what it is to be both an artist and a mother. The challenges that come with
juggling dual identities and polarizing experiences are imminent as an artist who is also a mother.
The artist mother tension is investigated through my personal experiences and notable works of
artist mothers in history and the present. The lack of representation of an authentic mothering
experience in art is further investigated by looking at maternal subject matter in the canon of
western art history, as well as the impact of the second wave feminist movement. This exhibition
will explore my own lineage and personal history, originating from my mother’s own experience
mothering me, all the way to the present, where I am now mothering my own children.
Keywords: Artist Mother, Second Wave Feminism, Authentic Mothering, Maternal Art, Dual
Identities, Time. |