JAYNE MATRICARDI: MOTHERSCAPE

Poems from the Motherscape
ink, paper, thread, approximately 5 x 7 inches, 2021

My experience of discovering the anonymous tired mother in a tintype inspired me to write an ekphrastic poem detailing the image itself, and my reaction to this fortuitous find. I was then inspired to write more poetry in which I explored my (often painful) personal experiences and memories of motherhood and motherwork. Some, but not all, of the poems in this collection correspond directly to pieces in the exhibition.