This mother zone will explore the expectations of motherhood. The zone is made up of my own expectations which have derived from my personal experience with my mother, as well as expectations formed in the society in which I have been raised. I pull apart the notions of ‘the mother’ and subvert and expand these themes and associations to the absolute max, causing the comforting domestic mother figure we are so used to being depicted, to become something otherly, thought provoking and systematic. I want my audience to be consumed by the mother performance zone I create, where all elements are enriched with maternal and motherly subject matter. Using my systematic grid method as my sole methodology for performance making, each material used should embody my internal logic and explore my research questions. My current research questions are:

 

• What are the effects when you subvert, challenge or reproduce the traditional domestic mother figure within performance?

• In what ways, can I reflect upon and use my own experience and relationship with my mother in the project, without this causing the piece to become predictable and obvious?

I have been led to these research questions as my project has developed. After my work in progress showing in week 8, I took a step back and re-examined my piece. The personal elements were limp in logic and therefore weakened my performance, leading it to be read one dimensionally. This showing wasn’t necessarily challenging or reproducing any of my key themes or ideas. I looked back at a previous showing I had done in the early stages of my rehearsal process. This was much more compelling as it was carefully structured using my grid method and logic. Working with this revelation, the feedback from my buddy and mentor, and using artists such as Louise Bourgeois and Bobby Baker as case studies, I could closely examine and redevelop my research questions. Both the artists I am using as case studies work with personal memorabilia, emotions or motifs in their work, in a way that is still thought provoking but not necessarily obvious on the surface. Placing these personal elements within my grid means they make logical sense to me within the piece and makes for them to be less obvious and more interesting to myself and an audience.

 

As my project has developed I have become deeply interested in animal mothers. This started off when I researched Bourgeois’ spider that she created to represent her mother. I then pursued my own research into various interesting animal mothers and developed a series of monologues which featured in my work in progress showing. I am continuing to experiment with how this research will appear in my final project.

 

Eggs and the idea of nesting is another idea I have constantly been interested in since the beginnings of my project. Each week I create a vine nest. Sometimes there is an egg in the nest, other times there is not. Sometimes I crack the egg. Sometimes I roll the yolk over my body.

 

My project is continuing to grow in the grid womb where ideas are created, formed and nourished.