Labor of Love
Labor of Love considers the history, memory, and significance of objects and materials, through the eyes of the mother-artist.
Fabric is folded over and gathered together, suspended between a length of yellow lashing, used to tie things down.
First used in a durational performance piece in 2016 entitled Beneath, I Am Moving I stood naked under the yellow satin fabric, moving slowly across the gallery space. I remember feeling especially anxious during this performance, as I had learned just a few weeks prior that I was (unexpectedly) pregnant. For Labor of Love I returned to this yellow satin: this time sitting naked beneath it as my daughter and partner used hands, feet, and brushes to apply ink to its surface. A blue exercise ball, originally purchased to assist me during the birth of my daughter, is cradled by the satin. Since its last use, it has been sitting in my home, almost forgotten and slowly deflating.
Metal clips hold the entire piece in place: with some carefully applied pressure, everything falls to the floor.