Photomontage

Our first exercise to start to explore montage as a means of making/creating/thinking/feeling.

I want to explore motherhood more. Although it feels so narcissistic I honestly need to create some mental and emotional space from my role as mother… and how better than to examine it more intensely 😅🤷‍♀️

The brief was to follow these prompts to take/find 10 photos then combine those into 5 images. I began the task at the end of the online lecture where I was right then - poolside at swimming lessons and then asked my daughter Eleven to help me go through the list more systematically a couple of days later. This involvement of my children in making is something I want to continue to explore also as our family situation makes it difficult to have an art practice without also juggling at least one child. Even this blog post is being written with the baby asleep on me.

These were all done on my phone using Canva app (pro) as a clingy baby was getting in the way of the time I wanted to spend in Photoshop on my laptop.

Although I took the photos with an attempt of openness and honesty (e.g. how I truly feel atm - mostly exhausted and impatient 😬) I allowed myself to be playful with the photomontages and tried to consider some ways of combining that previously had not occurred to me. Some effects on photos a direct consequence of the method of making - using the Canva app.

I’m amused by these images and I am enjoying the playful prod at my own narcissism.