Starting up my SENIOR YEAR!!!

I'm am stoked to announce that I have finally made it to my Senior year as a Photography major at the Art Academy of Cincinnati! I wanted to start sharing some of the work I'm doing and also let everyone know that I will be showing my work in an exhibition show from April 27th until May 2nd. I will be presenting my work in a gallery talk on the 27th between 12:30pm and 3:30pm and the closing reception will be on May 1st in the evening. Hope to see lots of people there! Thanks! Check it out!

View of presentation for the Large Group Walk Around at school

Close view of a few bottles from the display

Photography to accompany the work

Photography to accompany the work

Photography to accompany the work

Small sample of documented diapers for a photo book

Preserved diaper (using Resin)

ARTIST STATEMENT:

As a new mom, I have to deal with many changes in my daily life. Often times, I find myself overwhelmed trying to sustain the life of my little boy. I can tell how healthy he is by how much he eats and how often, how long and often he sleeps, and by what his stool looks like. That is his way of communicating. While I was pregnant, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what my life as a mother would be like, but I could not have been more wrong. There are so many untold truths about motherhood that just don't get talked about and I get very frustrated with the things I have to do now when I have so many other things I would rather be doing. In an attempt to feel more in control of the circumstances, I began documenting anything and everything I could. I have freezers full of stored breast milk and bags upon bags full of dirty diapers. These daily experiences define my newly acquired title as “Mother.”

One of the daily tasks I am now faced with is breast-feeding. Many women produce far too much breast milk for their baby's needs and need to use a breast pump every few hours to avoid pain and discomfort of engorged breasts. It's overwhelming, but many doctors will tell mothers that it is the best option for babies. But many people in society might think it's inappropriate, disgusting, and awkward. It's something you just aren't supposed to talk about. I hate to admit it, but I think I am one of those people. I feel awkward talking about my problems and I get grossed out when I spill my milk on myself.

My goal for my art right now is to break the silence. I want to confront society with breast milk and force myself to talk about it. I want to bombard my viewers with brutal honesty about motherhood and take it for what it is instead of imagining the "cookie cutter" mom or "sugar coated" family life that reality television and the media portrays. I want my work to force people to questions their own beliefs and values and to really think about why they feel awkward or uncomfortable, including myself.