Postpartum Amphora with Needles, Stitches, and Ultrasounds, 2024
porcelain, glaze, underglaze, and screws, 54 x 28 inches
I made Postpartum Amphora with Needles, Stitches, and Ultrasounds (2024) in homage to my experience of giving birth to my son, our second child. This work celebrates the craft empolyed by my OBGYN as she stitched me up postpartum, a life-saving medical act as well as an impressive feat of craftmenship (craftswomanship?). As I watched my doctor work I noticed the special needle and thread she used, which I depicted in the top section of this amphora. It’s a type of needle used both the suture women and to mend upholstery. as I watched her work I recognized the focus in her eyes as the same one I employ in the studio when making my work. The middle section of the amphora is a view of her at work from the unique vantage point of the object of her labors. I adorned the bottom part of the amphora with glaze paintings based on my son’s ultrasound images in utero. As a whole, the amphora depicts the act of labor as a shared experience of three individuals: the one giving labor, the one coming into the world, and the one who keeps them both alive in the process.
