Journal 7

Personal/Critical: First looking at this exhibition, I was a bit confused. I saw several different women, all the photos were in black and white, then I saw black and white photos of vegetables and a bit of color photograms of vegetables. I didn't really understand the whole connection between all the subjects. So I looked at what it was about and it was about a single mother's parenting. I think this was a bit of a stretch with vegetables, especially as there is no artist statement explaining what the vegetables are doing there. But what I got from the exhibit as a whole, is this single mother's experience has been particularly hard, she has wanted freedom. Which links to the first photo, as it looks like the woman is closing her eyes and wishing for freedom. She has gone through hard times and wanted to just be done with everything. This links to the second photo I think because the knees are a bit bashed up, and the person seems to be huddled up and wanting to be alone as they cry. I think this is partly where the vegetables come in - the single mother has been left behind, hurting and kicked around, beaten and broken - just like the vegetables have been. Its a metaphor for how harshly she has been treated. I think the color photogram of the vegetable, could almost be looked at like a close-up, like actually looking at the single mother for once, seeing her for who she is, instead of judging her. A person could see she has been broken and ripped apart, but they could also see that she still has color in her. Finally, I think that over the years, after being torn down and hurt, the woman has aged and gone through some of the worst times all alone and on her own. And now she is grown, and still alone, and very sad. As depressing as this sounds, this is what I got from the exhibit personally. 

Technical: The exhibit was made up of black and white photos and photograms, they were shown in an art gallery, with several different walls for the exhibit. I think this was important, first because the gallery was downtown, so it gave the feel more of an urban and run down feel to it. Next a person could weave in and out through the walls which could almost be like weaving in and out of the single mothers life and seeing how she has lived. 

Ethical: I think the artists moral and ethical responsibilities were to capture the hardships of the single mother's trials while struggling to provide for her child all alone. I think she had to communicate to the audience that people need to stop judging single parents, as they are working the hardest they can to survive. 

Cultural: Again, I think the vegetables convey the metaphor of how hard the single mother has been pushed and shoved and ground down to the ground, and now she feels almost helpless and lost. Also the photograms take an even closer step - almost like the audience taking a closer step - and seeing how broken up the vegetable is - or how broken up the single mother is.

Historical: I think that, despite the black and white, making the exhibit look a bit older, it was quite new and a modern time period. I think this because the photos aren't very grainy, so the photos would've been taken with a digital camera. I think really the only historical point that could be brought here, might be losing the husband at war, making the wife a single mother. I say war because of the American flag in the last photo and the brokenness in all the photos, showing a great and deep sadness.