Lost/found

This work is based on a narrative of my daughter, who leads the viewer into an unknown destination within the landscape. In this context, she interacts with and finally leaves the weights and thread in the environment as metaphorical clues for the viewer. The weights have layers of meaning, including her carrying the weight of expectation. This practice began with conversations between myself and my daughter about her concern regarding her perceived lack of cultural identity. We discussed and then adopted the ‘facilitator, keeper and constructor of memory’ roles. Using this framework we ‘constructed’ and ‘facilitated’ the memory through the mythological narrative, and ‘kept’ the memory by recording her experience. This work is also a metaphor for the liminal space through which we are constantly adapting to our changing mother and child relationship. As I learn about her emerging identity, she leads me into an unknown ‘landscape’ where there is tension surrounding her need for independence, and my simultaneous reluctance to let go.