Graduating work 2015

“No one else will ever know the strength of my love for you. After all, you’re the only one who knows the sound of my heart from the inside.”

Captured Emotions. Photographer Adam McGrath
Captured Emotions 111. Photographer David Paterson
Captured Emotions 11. Photographer Adam McGrath
Captured Emotions
Captured Emotions
Captured Emotions
Captured Emotions
Captured Emotions
mother’s love, embedded
mother’s love, trace
mother’s love, trace
mother’s love, trace
mother’s love, imprint
mother’s love, embedded
mother’s love, imprint
mother’s love, embedded
mother’s love, trace
mother’s love, imprint

I am a glass artist interested in exploring mothering and in particular the relationship and connection I have with my children. This body of works speaks primarily about mother’s love and aspects connected to it. The birth of this work started with my first steps into the world of study which marked the end of my 14 years as a full time mum.  Dealing with all the feelings associated with this big change in family life reminded me of the importance of my role mothering and its affects on my children.

Exploring the processes of glass I chose to use the blown form of the bowl along with the imprint of my hands to convey the importance of love. Particularly my hands of love in nurturing, touching forming my children’s development. The qualities of glass such as transparency and reflection along with the use of engraving and enamels have provided a seamless canvas to illustrate these themes.

My second body of work developed from my interest in the technique of glass casting. I discovered the connection with mothering and the mother mold, a term used to define the plaster form which has an internal cavity that is filled with glass during the casting process and gives a prescribed shape to the glass. Creating a dialogue between technical and visceral I have made the mold out of glass altering it to be something precious as opposed to something discarded. The void of the glass mother mold is a captured conversation I had between my child and me.

Reflecting on my experiences as a mother and reading the about the work of other artists and their experiences as mothers has given me insight to approaching my work. Mary Kelly’s groundbreaking narrative and her large-scale Post Partum Document spoke powerfully to me. Denise Ferris whose essay Spoilt Milk: Ambivalence and the Language of Casein gave me inspiration and desire to continue on with this topic.

Thanks to my beautiful children and husband who without them and their support I could not have completed this roller coaster ride culminating in this body of work.