My dear friend Jane Sawyer sent me "
A Divided Heart" in the mail.
Written by
Rachel Power who is a writer herself "A Divided Heart" explores the relationship between art and motherhood through a series of interviews with artists from all different genre. There are famous people such a actor Rachel Griffith and all round amazing actor, writer, creative person Alice Garner and others who work in the obscure field of contemporary art or craft. All of these women speak about issues I grapple with every day........
Feeling guilty about dividing your time with your children and art, trying to adjust to loss of self, the joy and gifts of mothering. The constant pull of the creative away from your children into your art, the fear of being left behind in the harsh, reality of the art world. The frustration that mothering, the most important job you could ever do, is not recognized.
This is essential reading for artist mothers. I feel really strongly about this issue. It's like motherhood is a dirty word in art circles. Since I've had children there have been times, at conferences or openings that I've looked around and thought "What a waste of time", standing around with people I don't like talking about things that seem unreal and flimsy compared to smelling my babies heads and holding their little hands as I walk down the street. There have been other times when I've tried to convince myself that having boiled eggs for dinner is pretty healthy especially if you have organic bread and a few slices of cucumber "for greens" because I have to "get downstairs and finish off a few pots".
I am so proud that my children see me at work and how what I do to supports us and inspires us. Working from home as an artist is a gift to me and the children. I'm proud to be a mother. When I had children I felt as if I was in the movie of "The Wizard of OZ", my life in Kansas (before children) was black and white and now I can see in brilliant, sparkling technicolour.
" Toto,we're not in Kansas any more."
There is nowhere near enough information about Swedish ceramicist Mia E Goransson on the Net. She is inspired by botanical forms which she she hand builds and molds in porcelain. The surfaces are so seductive, the colours so clear. In the contemporary climate of very cool,white , minimal porcelain I think Goransson's is exploration of colour and texture takes the medium in a different direction. Tactile appeal is a quality more often associated with wood fired ceramics but the need to touch (or lick!) these pieces is overwhelming.
