IT WAS GOOD ENOUGH FOR OUR MOTHERS VISUALIZES SCENES OF MATERNITY AND GENERATIONAL TRADITIONS PASSED DOWN WITHIN MY FAMILY FROM CHILDHOOD. WE GREW UP AMONG PASTORAL LANDSCAPES OF THE CONSERVATIVE AMERICAN SOUTH WHERE CONSTRUCTED VALUES OF FAITH AND LABOR WERE TIGHTLY PRESERVED.
I INTIMATELY REVISIT LEFT BEHIND MEMORIES WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY EXPLORING MY ROLE AS A NEW MOTHER AND EVALUATING THE INFLUENCES THAT I PASS DOWN TO MY CHILD. I BEGIN TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I GIVE MY SON A HERITAGE THAT WILL ALWAYS POSSESS QUALITIES FROM MY PAST, WHETHER I WANT IT TO OR NOT. AS WE SEEK TO ESTABLISH OUR OWN REALITY, I CANNOT COMPLETELY SHAKE WHAT HAS SHAPED ME.
THE ESTABLISHED AUTHORITY OF MY MOTHER, THE MATRIARCH, IS CONTRASTED BY THE YOUNG INNOCENCE OF HER GRANDCHILD. SHE CARRIES A DETERMINATION TO SHAPE NEW GENERATIONS AKIN TO THE PRESSURE SHE FELT FROM HER MOTHER-IN-LAW TO PERFORM A FEMALE DUTY WITHIN THE HOME.
THROUGH A COLLECTION OF LETTERS TO MY SON AND I, SHE EXPRESSES HER CURRENT PERSPECTIVE OF THE PAST. THE CORRESPONDENCE SHOWS HER INNER TURMOIL IN RECOGNIZING THAT THE OPPOSITE OF HER INTENTIONS OCCURRED. SHE DESIRED TO BREAK UNHEALTHY PATTERNS THAT SHE SAW IN HER OWN FAMILY BUT UNWILLINGLY SUPPORTED A REPETITION OF THE PAST. FOR NOW, SHE FOCUSES ON HER NEW ROLE AS GRANDMOTHER SEEKING TO RELEASE ANY PREVIOUS GUILT.
INVITING MY FAMILY MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE COUPLED WITH PERFORMATIVE SELF PORTRAITS, I REFERENCE MY ADOLESCENT YEARS SET IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE WOMEN ACCEPTED THEIR DOMESTIC RESPONSIBILITIES AS A WAY OF LIFE.
TITLE _ IT WAS GOOD ENOUGH FOR OUR MOTHERS
PHOTOGRAPHY _ MEGHAN MATHEWS