Pressure, and a craving for its counterpoint, Balance, is a perpetual conjuring act for me in my practice and my life as a mother. I like to repurpose found objects in my work and increasingly I use process or repetition to create a sort of headspace for myself as I make work. As my work is conceptual I think quite a bit about what I want to make before I start; it all begins with an idea (much of these ideas come during another repetitive task I enjoy, running).  The execution of a piece is often quite quick and an opportunity for me to ‘stop thinking’, as it can be a repetitive process, placing stitches, objects, or in this case, nails.

This piece uses a large foam block that a neighbour at my studio was throwing out, and some household nails. The title references Pema Chödrön in her writings relating to bravery and trauma, that we need to lean into the sharp points in order to fully experience them. I am a single mother and I often think that I need a soft cushioning thing to support me, as I spend a lot of my energy supporting others (my young son, my elderly mother, friends that may need me). The nails can represent many things; the domestic duties that I am now exclusively responsible for (no longer having a man on the premises to do ‘the man jobs’), a seemingly endless list of repetitive tasks, toughness piercing softness, the act of balancing gently on the foam block.

(Image credit: Peter Dibdin)

Read more about Jenny Mason.