Mireia Tysoe
Mother
Installation, 208 x 140 x 146 cm.
'Mother' forms part of a series of objects covered in 'skin' - skin-coloured tights sewn together by hand to create a delicate, protective and translucent web. The artwork is an expression of motherhood and attempts to transmit the immeasurable importance of the primary maternal figure.
'Mother' takes us back to our origins, to the matrix where our life and the femininity within each and every one of us began. A femininity often undervalued in a society that values hardness over softness, action over stillness and intervention over observation.
The organic curves, the touch and the colour, remind us of the physical organ that surrounds us. Our skin allows us to express our sensuality and receive the sensuality of others, to experience pleasure and pain. Sensuality nourishes us, it is essential for connecting with the other, it is a basic component of feeling alive, and helps us to move away from the dominance of the mind and perceive the body as a whole.
Nurture
Installation, 120 x 62 x 66 cm.
’Nurture’ is my most recent artwork, created after the birth and during the first year of my third child’s life. It forms part of a series of objects covered in ‘skin’ - skin coloured tights sewn together by hand. In this case the object consists of a wooden crib. The piece embodies my experiences, feelings and sensations of motherhood; the pleasure and the pain and the inner, reparative work and development which can accompany the experience.
The web-like structure highlights the distinction between a complex and layered interior and the open and limitless space that surrounds it. The piece evokes our primal state and generates visceral sensations that are often disturbing, yet familiar. The sculpture invites reflection on our common origin and how we feel within our own bodies.
