Holding Time

About

Holding Time is an exhibition about Motherhood and Time. Featuring portraits of twenty three mothers created over a period of nearly three years, this groundbreaking work is an attempt to capture the experience of breastfeeding from a mothers point of view. With an animation , still images and interviews, this is a celebration of breastfeeding that will encourage debate. 

Despite accumulated evidence of the physical, emotional and mental health benefits to the child, as well as the environmental and social benefits, in a society preoccupied with economic growth the time saving arguments in favour of bottle-feeding remain a major obstacle to higher rates of breastfeeding. 
Each mother is accompanied by a digitally created 'Timepiece' of Creagh's invention. This 'right-brained clock' is based on an ancient Cosmatesque design, found on the floor of the Sistine Chapel. By contextualising breastfeeding mothers within this older decorative tradition, Creagh  shows time spent breastfeeding as slower, deeper and fuller than 'normal' time.

See a preview here: https://youtu.be/nB2LbSrdjJ0

The range of mothers is deliberately broad in scope. Mothers range in age from early twenties to mid forties, with children aged from a few weeks to up to three and a half. There are tandem feeding mothers (mothers feeding two children simultaneously), single mothers and mothers of sick children. All are shot in the same way: against a neutral dark background in lighting reminiscent of Renaissance paintings.  

The development of the work is promoted using a specially created online Social Enterprise  called The Parlour. Including interviews with the participating mothers, and a blog written by  Sociologist and collaborator, Lucila Newell, The Palour is used to distribute the ideas and themes  of Holding Time  to an international audience.