Reframing the "Sentimental" in the Art of the Maternal

About

Desperate Artwives is pleased to announce an opportunity, for artists who are also mothers, to take part in a series of three workshops at Platform 1 Gallery, culminating in an Open Daywhere works made will be on show to the public. Dagmara Bilon, Teresa Albor and Katy Howe who are artists and mothers themselves, will each be leading participating artists on a journey to explore the maternal experience, both individually and collectively. The aim will be to help artists consider different ways of working and challenging their current practise, with a focus on exploring and uncovering the power of the “sentimental” in the art of the maternal.

We rarely see motherhood and the maternal, outside of their idealistic depictions. A taboo continues to surround the art of the maternal where it is often considered to be, too “sentimental” to be interesting, due to it's subjective nature. The Patriarchal discourse that early feminists engaged with, in the 1960's and 70's, where pregnancy and therefore motherhood should not and must not be seen, unless mediated through the male gaze, persists in many ways today. Artists who are mothers are under-represented within the art world on every level, and opportunities for them are few, and limited. The frequently held belief that you cannot be a (good) artist AND a (good) mother is often perpetuated by women artists ourselves. But our subjective “sentimental” maternal experiences are significant and powerful, and resonate with value. They become a huge part of our lived experience, which in turn feeds back into the work we make. These subjective and sentimental experiences need to be represented and validated both in the art world and further afield. The workshops will seek to engage with this by making powerful and compelling art on our own terms, therefore reframing the subjective “sentimentality” of maternal art. The workshops' culmination will result in an informal open day at Platform 1 Gallery.

We would encourage applicants to participate in all three workshops as you will have a better opportunity to explore the issues in more depth. However, you are more than welcome to participate in just one or two workshops.
If you book all three workshops you'll receive a £10 discount on the full amount (please contact Desperate Artwives for more information regarding this option on desperateartwivesproject@gmail.com).

A small lunch, tea and coffee throughout the day and some materials are included in the final price.

OPEN DAY : Hosted by Desperate Artwives and Platform 1 Gallery Saturday 23rd June.

http://platform1gallery.com/