Motherhood Moments: Creating New Aesthetic Space

Motherhood is mayhem. Since becoming a mother, I carve out space and time for short creation bursts. I observe my children’s lack of inhibitions and carefree use of materials and incorporate their habits into my work. Art routines are a way to create in my messy maternal life. This thesis examines: How is the practice of an artist-mother visible, and how is it currently categorized in the visual arts? Concurrently, by what specific modalities do parents carve out space and time for work, art, family, and health, and what tactics might be envisioned?

This paper defines motherwork, a mother’s studio practice, mother artist examples, the use of toys and gestures in my Mommy Mayhem and Motherhood Hit Me Like a Train art series. I explore my creativity, concluding with future plans involving artmaking and workshops for parents. Artistic play is critical for an artist mother.