Exhibition: Home Truths Photography And Motherhood

I found this exhibition via the photographers gallery and is one I came across in the past and
although it has ended I also have the book so felt I still had enough information and images
to go from. This exhibition relates to myself and my work, firstly as a Mother I can resonate
with the photographs and with my project being on the bonding of Mother’s and their
children and also the identity of the Mother I feel it is very fitting.

I decided to focus on one photographer from this series as there are many within the
exhibition, I found the images from Ana Casas Broda very striking and telling. Ana has
photographed herself with her two Son’s which for her brought back memories of her own
childhood and her relationship with her Mother which wasn’t a very fond one. Whilst Ana
photographs these moments with her children they are helping her to release the trauma
from her own past whilst also being very much in the present moment.

Ana Casas Broda,

Kinderwunsch (video game),

7 August 2010
Here Ana seems exhausted, Motherhood is taking a toll on her at this particular time,
her Son is occupied so it looks that she has taken this time to catch some rest, her
body seems tired from the strains of motherhood. The lighting is great here creating
an atmosphere with herself and son lit as if the television is shining onto them whilst
the rest of the room and outside the window looking quite dark suggesting that it’s
late or maybe very early morning.

Ana Casas Broda,

Kinderwunsch (Lucio and Ana)

10 March 2010

Intimate moments with her Son in this photo, I feel her images show some of the
highs and lows of motherhood, in the last image she seems exhausted and here in
this one it’s these moments that make everything worth it. The skin to skin contact
creates a deeper bonding between the two, her supporting his back in a loving
manner and maybe so he isn’t to fall off the bed, and again the lighting focused on
the subjects to create a mood of closeness.

Ana Casas Broda,

Kinderwunsch (Bathroom)

6 August 2010
The lighting in these images creates such emotion for me, I feel that if this was an
image where the whole scene was fully lit more evenly it wouldn’t have the same
effect. Her Son here washing her hair another moment to bond and allowing him to
play with her hair enabling him to learn and also to have empathy for others, whilst
also giving Ana some relaxation. I feel that Ana lets the natural moments of bonding
happen but maybe whilst in the moment also dwelling on her past possibly thinking
about how different her childhood was. I’m not sure on the relationship Ana has with
her child’s father but these images suggest he is distant and she is doing much of
this parenting alone, the images seem to be at night time but the father is not there,
of course I could be wrong maybe he is working or she didn’t want him in the images
but that isn’t the impression I get from her work.
Ana’s body of work has helped me in my own work to think about how the lighting
can create the affect I desire to achieve within my own work, also to think about how
the past can affect one’s upbringing of their own children.