Mya Cluff (She/Her)
Where Do I End, and You Begin? (Arrangement #1), 2021
Ceramic
h 22.5”, w 46.5”, d 1.25”
The physical touch of early motherhood is an experience I have found to constantly ride the line between comfort, and repulsion; intimacy, and overstimulation. "Where Do I End, and You Begin?" is an exploration of segmented and highly focused moments of intense physicality within the mother and child relationship. Some tiles feature scenes of caressing, others illustrate pulling and pinching. Some feature skin of the mother or child alone, though often the composition is so cropped that the section of skin is indistinguishable between one person or the other. The pandemic heightened these sensations of physical intimacy as mothers were confined into small spaces with their children for days on end. Personally, at the beginning of the pandemic, my two children and I went 8 straight weeks with my husband being the only person leaving the house for work, and essentials. The heart of the matter is truly, pandemic or no, motherhood is rife with isolation, repetition, exhaustion. intermingled with moments of tenderness. The line of individuality can become muddled and hazy. Some moments stem from the joy of closeness and physical affection, and some grow from being spread too thin; the essential work of mother as giver, and comforter.
@myacluffstudio
