The Art of Breastfeeding: Modern Narratives of Motherhood
Title
The Art of Breastfeeding: Modern Narratives of Motherhood
Exhibition Website
Gallery
Location
Brooklyn
New York
Curatorial Statement
In honor of International Women's Month, MF Gallery is hosting an art show that explores the joys, challenges, and body-politics of breastfeeding and motherhood in the 21st century. Part of the proceeds will benefit La Leche League. Co-Curated by Leigh Pennebaker, (founder of @breastfeedingart feed on instagram) and Martina Secondo Russo, (owner of MF Gallery) this show will feature artwork in a variety of media from two dozen international artists, including Nicoz Balboa, Christa David, Jess Dobkin, Debbies Drummond, Marina Font, Geertje Geertsma, Aimee Gilmore, Jenna Gribbon, Samantha Hahn, Sigal Arad Inbar, Kasey Jones, Raeleen Kao, Lucy Knisley, Rachel Marcotte, Tara McPherson, Anna Melo, Jenny Middleton, April Rose, Martina Secondo Russo, Debra Sheldon, SWOON, Lexx Valdez, Anna Wiggins, Megan Wynne and more.
Today, many female artists are moving beyond the ancient Madonna archetype and creating fresh and exciting work using their firsthand experience with breastfeeding to explore what it means to be women, mothers, and feminists. These artists are making work that celebrates the naturalness and normalcy of breastfeeding and pushes back at a culture that penalizes and censors women’s bodies at every turn. Breastfeeding can be one of the most beautiful and fulfilling journeys in life, but women who wish to nurse their babies often face an uphill battle in a culture that doesn’t provide adequate postpartum support, and in which women are constantly judged and criticized no matter what they do. Even street harassment takes specific form, as strangers admonish mothers to ‘cover up’ while breastfeeding in public spaces. Artists are harnessing such experiences and using them as fuel to create while deepening the discourse around mothers, babies, and our mammal bodies.
A portion of the proceeds from artwork sales will be donated to La Leche League of Brooklyn, the local chapter of La Leche League International, whose mission is to help mothers worldwide to breastfeed through mother-to-mother support, encouragement, information, and education, and to promote a better understanding of breastfeeding as an important element in the healthy development of the baby and mother.
Today, many female artists are moving beyond the ancient Madonna archetype and creating fresh and exciting work using their firsthand experience with breastfeeding to explore what it means to be women, mothers, and feminists. These artists are making work that celebrates the naturalness and normalcy of breastfeeding and pushes back at a culture that penalizes and censors women’s bodies at every turn. Breastfeeding can be one of the most beautiful and fulfilling journeys in life, but women who wish to nurse their babies often face an uphill battle in a culture that doesn’t provide adequate postpartum support, and in which women are constantly judged and criticized no matter what they do. Even street harassment takes specific form, as strangers admonish mothers to ‘cover up’ while breastfeeding in public spaces. Artists are harnessing such experiences and using them as fuel to create while deepening the discourse around mothers, babies, and our mammal bodies.
A portion of the proceeds from artwork sales will be donated to La Leche League of Brooklyn, the local chapter of La Leche League International, whose mission is to help mothers worldwide to breastfeed through mother-to-mother support, encouragement, information, and education, and to promote a better understanding of breastfeeding as an important element in the healthy development of the baby and mother.
Artists
Nicoz Balboa
Christa David
Jess Dobkin
Debbies Drummond
Marina Font
Geertje Geertsma
Jenna Gribbon
Samantha Hahn
Sigal Arad Inbar
Raeleen Kao
Lucy Knisley
Rachel Marcotte
Tara McPherson
Anna Melo
Jenny Middleton
April Rose
Martina Secondo Russo
Debra Sheldon
SWOON
Lexx Valdez
Anna Wiggins
Duration
March 10 - April 22, 2018
Collection
Citation
“The Art of Breastfeeding: Modern Narratives of Motherhood,” Artist Parent Index , accessed April 24, 2024, https://www.artistparentindex.com/items/show/296.
Item Relations
This item has no relations.