JAYNE MATRICARDI: MOTHERSCAPE
Beasts of Burden
carbon on canvas, size of canvas varies, 2019-2021
A family photograph of my great uncle as an infant, propped up on a pony, inspired my Beasts of Burden series of carbon paintings. Much as I imagined the pony must have felt, plodding each day through city streets so parents could pay for a photo of their child on her back, I found myself feeling trapped and overburdened by the physical and mental load of caring for my children while working full-time. Ironically, the COVID-19 pandemic, while bringing much of the world to a standstill, has brought the unacknowledged work and overwork of mothers to the forefront. Mothers often carry the majority of both the child-rearing and household obligations, whether or not they work outside the home. Similarly, in my paintings, mute animals silently fulfill their duties with babies and toddlers on their backs.
Titles and dimensions:
Goat Cart, 48 x 60 inches
Baby on a Camel, 72 x 60 inches
Antelope and Child, 60 x 48 inches
Photographer’s Pony, 60 x 48 inches