Mother/Daughter (working title)
This project explores the expectations of motherhood on women and girls. I am 43 years old. I am a daughter but not a mother. At my age people have thoughts and opinions on my not being a mother, as do I. My feelings on not being a mother are complex, as are my feelings about my mother and how our relationship has changed throughout the years. I don't think this is unusual and I wanted to collaborate with women and girls whilst they also reflect on these matters. I chose women and girls who were either old enough to be my mother or young enough to be my daughter.
Before sitting with me, I asked them to write down answers to the following questions:
my thoughts a feelings on…
1: being a daughter
2: my mother
3: on becoming a mother
4: on not being a mother
They then sat with me for a “family” portrait as either the mother figure or the daughter figure. I asked them to think about their answers to the questions whilst sitting with me. I did the same.
The result is a profoundly deep and emotional response. These women and girls opened up to me about their health, relationships with their mothers and daughters, and how this has changed throughout their lives. The handwritten responses are below the set of portraits.
