MAMA

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        The work presented is comprised of organic portraits of my mother; they study her body’s ever-changing physicality. Imprints and the cliché verre process capture aspects of her body while simultaneously celebrating its transformative aging beauty.

        My mother was a food addict, weighing over 320 lbs. She underwent gastric bypass surgery. After losing the weight, my mother’s skin sagged. She felt alienated from her body, almost as if she were wearing the skin of another. Together my mother and I began making artwork that focused on developing a healthier self-image- a practice of self-healing.  This therapeutic practice treats her body as an exquisite object to develop a healthy self-image.
       

        The process of making a handmade negative is very tactile and the sense of touch is crucial. I painted my mother’s entire body with my hands- nothing is left untouched. There was a great sense of comfort and trust we experienced with each other during this process. While painting my mother’s body, I began to understand the traumas that her body endured. It brings up memories of my childhood- the good ones, the bad ones, and those that I’d forgotten. In this imprinting practice, we experienced an intimate connection, living in the same moment and realizing our relationship as mother and daughter.