To Be Frank

My art practice has focused on repetitive tedious conversations that form a considerable portion of the interactions between myself and my adult autistic son. These exchanges serve as metaphors for the binding nature of maternal responsibilities with an adult dependent child. Through my artwork I have sought to convey this uncomfortable ambivalence, by building a head/womb space with reference to Julia Kristevas’ Khora; being a space for exploring the potentiality of meaning. In the piece ‘To Be Frank’ (2018) I filled a generic head with repetitive stitched details told to me by my son. There is a duality to the facts; on one level they form a detailed body of knowledge, but on a deeper level they symbolise the claustrophobic nature of the interactions. You need to peer into the head/womb space in order to read the words, strengthening their visual impact and sense of intimacy.