As an artist, I never identified myself with my family. My having a family was just a part of my biology, driving relations and the cause of both joy and sorrow. All of these identifiers caused ambiguity within me. Constriction, restraint, joy with sorrow, and invisibility were the products of my familial experiences.
Unfortunately, this separatist attitude developed into a denial of my complete person. I AM a woman, a daughter, a granddaughter, an aunt, a sister, a wife, and a mother. I carry the practices of many generations- messages of motherhood and womanhood in my very veins and soul. As I began an archeological dig into my familial ties, I re- discovered and acknowledged - for the first time - my family history and existence. My works now include the very ambiguity I feel over this issue.
The use of domestic and childhood materials and constructions of fabric and vintage apparel reveal the paradox of family history – myths, storytelling, truth, lies, misunderstandings, and, above all, the difficulty of unconditionally loving one another. By questioning what family ties mean to me, I offer a record of one artist’s journey into acceptance and the embrace of the familial spirit I have denied for years. My work now reflects the depolarization of my familial/individual self.
Altered garment straight jackets, which I designed imply the constraints experienced at different stages of my (and other womens’) life: An Ode to Motherhood, Love Honor & Obey? (as seen at the Emporium Center), and Post-Partum (referencing my struggles with post-partum depression).
