My current work explores ideas of transcendence within a domestic setting and the psychology of motherhood. As a primary caregiver of young children, the majority of my time over the last several years has been spent at home which can often feel isolating and mundane. These circumstances have only been exacerbated during the pandemic. As the pandemic has continued so have my feelings of containment, exhaustion and anxiety, as well as my desire for rest, connection to the natural world, safety and autonomy. I began an ongoing series of self-portraits taken in our yard and around the exterior edges of our house. By choosing to photograph using medium format film, I create space and time to explore and slowly compose each photograph, turning the process into both a meditation and a declaration of investment in my art practice.  As I wandered outside alone I was confronted with the landscape and objects my children interact with regularly such as a child-sized rake, tent, hammock, trees, piles of leaves and Halloween decorations. These are all items commonly found in suburban backyards but create a playful sense of the absurd when interacted with by an adult with no children visible in the frame.  I also used my body as a way to delineate the edges and boundaries imposed by both motherhood and the pandemic which speaks to my continual investigation of the interior and exterior both psychological and physical. These images capture the dichotomy of my liminal moments of freedom outdoors while also remaining restricted to our property, moments I spent alone but also in plain sight of my children and neighbors, longing for connection but also for the security of separation. 

Read more about Kathryn Rodrigues.