acting balance[d]; Spilt Milk Members Show ‘21
Exhibiting Artists:
Alice Hutt | Catherine Reinhart | Charmaine Beneyto | Dawn Yow | EL Putnam | Elaine Woo MacGregor | Emily Zarse | Fatema Abizar | Gwen Charles | Jen McGowan | Jenny Mason | Karen Miller | Kasey Jones | Kathryn Jago | Kathryn Rodrigues | Kelly Marshall | Lisa Alberts | Lucy Cade | Michelle Gallagher | Mya Cluff | Mymmy | Nanette Madan | Rebecca Potts Aguirre | Ruth Batham | Sorcha O’Brien | Stephanie Meredith | Stevie Berneray | Tracy Welling | Tulika Ladsariya |Victoria Smits
BALANCE CENTRED PRESSURE
Introduction by Beckie Upton.
acting balance[d] brings together a selection of work that reflects on the meanings of the words ‘Balance-Centred-Pressure’. Through the process of making and thinking, the artists question what it is to achieve, maintain and strive for balance, amidst the pressures, both external and internal to live up to the impossible myths of mother/parent-hood; the elusive, saintly vision of the serene and centred 21st century womxn, at peace with her/their many roles.
Weighted by the promise of balance; they are striving (whilst failing often), to become more centred. Continuing through the repetition, they pick themselves (along with stray toys, clothes, and paraphernalia), back up off the floor and start again. Noticing how the time is passing, too quickly or not quickly enough, they are leaning into the difficult moments and ultimately, accepting they are forever changed, a new version of themselves, reborn through these trials of parenting.
As an audience we are invited to question the very belief that the prospect of equilibrium might ever be possible. The ideological misrepresentation that today we really can “have it all”, when in reality it more often boils down to “having to do it all”. And if this wasn’t already the case, the pandemic years have cemented the pressures of multiple responsibilities and societal expectations further. In their statements artists refer to; teetering on the edge, compassion fatigue, maternal/parental exhaustion (the body and the mind), being ground down and feeling fraught. And all the while they are managing their own emotional load and carrying the load for the people they care for.
The exhibition is raw and vulnerable, for these artists, creating is a place of free expression, an honest exploration of a myriad of tug-of-war feelings. Guilt, anxiety, and fear feature heavily in these conversations. Underpinned by uncertainty and the anticipation of a ruined plan, a link in the chain breaking and the subsequent domino effect, should they drop one of the many balls that are constantly being juggled. The repetition of daily routine is echoed in the work itself, multiple small stitches, rows and rows of ordered pins, the regularity of the marks made by an ever-eroding pencil nib. Chosen materials purposefully have rough edges and frayed seams and perhaps, are made quickly in a rare, moment of escapism or painstakingly slowly, in any stolen moment possible over many months.
We see the struggle of the artists’ contradicting feelings, needing space while craving connection; a body wound tight as if swaddled, yet unable to take another breath. Fear for the future reflected in a layered video, at once exposing the unavoidable human impact on the planet in conflict with a desire to live sustainability and leave this generation with a secure future.
There is light relief in the form of dark humour, which underpins many pieces and a sense of the absurd apparent throughout. We see the use of the hybrid person: part human - part paperbag, part house or part tree, mirroring the fragmented-self. A figure bends over a sofa hysterically in anticipation of socialisation, there is contradiction behind the words “I am Fine” and “I am OK”, a baby spoon is absentmindedly misplaced in the felt-tip-pen box, and an allusive attempt to balance a pair of scales, somehow reassures us that beneath the struggle we can find solace in a shared sense of recognising these life pressures are often ridiculously comical.
We are left under no illusion that things might get easier for us just yet, but there is comfort to be found amongst the shared experiences, laid so bare by these artists. Beyond the obvious, it is not hard to find, that there is a subtle sense of hope after all. That wounds felt, although they might leave a deep and ever visible scar, will eventually be healed. That the desire to love will prevail above all else, and that we can approach our role with a sense of curiosity and humour. And knowing that these are shared experiences, approach others, with compassion and empathy. We can find connection through our collective experience of failure and resilience, and every so often, even if just for a moment, remember to applaud and appreciate our own tremendous strength, just long enough find our centre.
Rebecca Livesey-Wright has also written a beautiful piece inspired by the acting balance[d] exhibition. Head over to the blog to read; on being mother-artist.