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.
