Escape from St Helen's Oratory, Cape Cornwall

A series of performative photographs to camera informed by Piero Della Francesca's painting Madonna Del Parto and Ithell Colquhoun's Attributes of the Moon. Role playing Mary wearing a blue dress,  I step out of the confines of the picture frame to explore my identity as woman and mother. 

Photographed at dusk with a self timer I am captured “escaping” out of the window of this ancient monument.  The light of the sun magically fills the image. I wanted to create a self portrait that suggested strength, and resilience.  

This series of photographs was made during a 14 day artist residency at Brisons Veor entitled Mother As Monolith. Being away from my home and family responsibilities provided the context for the work. I constantly felt tethered to my family despite being far from them. 

Solace provides a degree of creative freedom. Once a mother we are forever bound to our children. The disconnection from my sons during this residency felt strange and at times unsettling. I found it hard some days to know what to do with my time when there was all the time to do whatever I wanted. I had to keep reminding myself that it was alright to just rest and dream and gaze at the blue of the sea as well as to make.  

No wonder the experience felt strange and isolating, this was  only the second time in 23 years since becoming a mother that I have spent a prolonged period of time alone in my own creative company. Accessing Residencies once becoming a parent is very challenging due to the economics of care, the lack of funding and family friendly residency opportunities.