For dear life using photography to bring visibility to emotional and psychological labor of motherhood
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Photography is widely used as a tool to promote awareness to the concerns of invisible social experiences. This paper discusses my use of the photographic medium to highlight psychological labor of motherhood and the role art photography plays in bringing visibility to this subject. This otherwise hidden labor exists within the "Institution of Motherhood": a term coined by Feminist, Adrienne Rich, in her book, Of Woman Born. This Institution, as defined by Rich, normalizes such labor onto mothers. Through referencing historical and contemporary theoretical writing, often authored by mothers, I attempt to bring awareness and visibility to emotional labor. I use Andrea O'Reilly's definition of "Matricentric Feminism" to situate my photographic practice. Matricentric Feminism "seeks to make motherhood the business of feminism by positioning mothers' needs and concerns as the starting point for a theory and politics on and for womens' empowerment." This paper dissects photographic works made by feminist photographers and mothers, such as Mary Kelly, Elinor Carucci, Csilla Klenyanszki, and Ahndraya Parlato to address the visibility of their labor within their own work. Lastly, I situate my photographic practice alongside these artist-mothers through discussing my photographic project, Good Mother, and my MFA thesis exhibition series, for dear life
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M.F.A.