Wakey wakey, rise and shine! Fragmented moments | Artifact motherhood project
Wakey wakey, rise and shine!
As I look back at these images and scrutinise my gaze, I understand that my bed became our stage. A stage where everything within these moments was allowed to exist; hints of sadness, happiness, joy, boredom and tiredness. Pulling my sons into the scene where we all sort of pose, it began to make me think of all the daily thoughts I have about them. Thoughts of love, change, determination, growth and encouragement.
I see a woman confronting her past failures and future longings. Mentally frozen in this position, in sort sort of existential reverie. Attempting to tighten my attention on my unexplained mood.
I see you my sons. I see the people you are becoming and I am in awe of you. I see how much I love you both and I am excited for your futures, even though the responsibility engulfs me sometimes.
Through this daily and simple documentation of taking our photograph every morning, I hoped I could transform the prosaic of these unrelenting days, into something inspiring. Stuck in our house, stuck in the interminable, same old slow, but fast days.
These photographs act as suspended moments in time, where the narrative of our day was able to unfold. Fragmented moments individually. Yet when these fragmented moments come together in this manner, I have been able to understand the whole story. They have acted as a final ending point to this period of our lives. Because only the conclusion to the story can explain the fragments.
*During the November UK lockdown in 2020, I took one photograph every morning for a month. With no families to photograph I decided to turn the camera onto myself. The idea was to capture myself in the same spot (at the end of our bed) every morning with either one or both of my children. Preferably before we have even got dressed. Some mornings it was literally as soon as we woke up, others were after breakfast or after a shower, whatever worked that morning. But essentially I tried to take the photograph before 9am. I was trying to portray exactly how I was feeling each morning. At the time, it gave me a focus and a huge sense of achievement before my day had even begun. And since then, as I look back at these images, as I look closely at my face and expressions, it has helped me understand my mood during this time.
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#artifactmotherhood
Welcome to Artefact Motherhood. This is a collaboration of artists from around the world who have come together to share our stories of the joys and struggles of our journey. Through our writings and visual records we want to create memories that are more than photographs with dates written on the back. These are the artefacts we are leaving behind for our children and for generations to come.
Please check out the next artist in our blog circle, the wonderful and talented Hollie Stokes and continue through all the artists until you get back to me.