E.M. Alysse Bowd's exhibition at Art Gallery of St. Albert digs into the complexity of what it means to be a mother in the 21st century.
Through dreamy drawings, humorous pottery, a round fibre art quilt and delicate dried flowers, Bowd’s 1 Milk / 2 Sugar relays images of mothers’ stress, loss of identity, sense of isolation, exhaustion, concerns and society’s expectations.
Gazing at the visual art, the viewer sees a woman’s body that fulfills the required functions even as she surrenders herself to sustain the life of a more vulnerable being. Using a cow as a symbol of motherhood, Bowd reveals the underbelly of motherhood.
While motherhood is a joy for many, Bowd’s exhibition removes the sweetness and “happily ever after” myth about parenting. Looking through Bowd's lens, one could even suggest motherhood is a patriarchal trap rather than a source of creativity and wonder.
“I loved how broad the exhibition is with an installation, drawings, ceramics and a performance,” said gallery curator Emily Baker. “She not only looks at her own experience, but at how others have represented motherhood. This exhibition only scratches the surface.”
Baker went on to add a steady stream of attendees have dropped by the gallery since the exhibition first opened Aug. 15.
“People find a connection and keep coming back. It’s spread largely through word-of-mouth. It’s that honesty, especially if you are a mother or parent and you see it in the nuances and textures reflected back at you.”
Whatever individual views of motherhood we carry, this exhibition places a spotlight on the challenges young mothers face daily and that motherhood needs to be treated with seriousness and respect.
1 Milk / 2 Sugar will be on display until Sept. 28 at Art Gallery of St. Albert, 19 Perron Street.
