Mental Traveler

As I might have mentioned before, I work part time in one of the most interesting gallery in Tampere, Valokuvakeskus Nykyaika http://valokuvakeskusnykyaika.fi/. In August we had an interesting artist photographer Julia Weckman. At Nykyaika she had very great exhibition named On the Border of Existence. 

 But what really made me prick up my ears was conversation in the day of exhibition opening. Julia was asked to tell about feedback she has got of her work. And she told about her series of photos she have exhibit in year 2013 by name Mental traveler. One part of the series was photos of women wearing expedition uniforms. 

 

That is the series she have got a lot of feedback and it have touched many even to tears. She tells about the project in her web site:

”Occasionally, I feel the need to escape my own life somewhere. To freedom? But would I ever reach my destination as a traveller? Is travelling or my romanticized view of the journey toward freedom but a grand illusion? Myself, looking at my work, I feel i.a. longing, melancholy and wistfulness. Words I affiliate with
my works are essential, simple, restlessness, elsewhere, ease, freedom, departure.

Landscapes and images of leaving are in the spotlight of my exhibition. Portrait series of the likes of me, mothers of small children in expedition uniforms proves I am not alone with my wanderlust. There are seemingly more of us!”

When mothers of small children wear the red hat to say they are ready to leave everything and head to unknown it is really shocking. But it’s also so familiar feeling. It is relative to feeling of being trapped and a yearning for freedom,

 

Julia was amiable and answered questions I made about art and motherhood.

I asked how she herself succeeded to make art when she was mother of young children.

She answered:  “For me it is,  -and it was when my children born- important not to lose myself, and my own way to feel, express and to exist.

I exist, when I can express myself through art. As a mother of small children making art it is challenging, it is a hell if you are single parent, or if your partner is not enough supporting, or if you have to fight for your right to work all of the time. One faces many excruciating questions, which concern dignity, professional pride, partner’s values, and even respect (or lack of respect) of person and work. Personally I feel better, when I have possibility to do enough my work, my artistic expression (even if it is additionally to taking care of child). This should give enough explication for others, and that is the rule to follow. I have had to be perseverance and take my right. If I would have stayed crying how difficult things are, I couldn’t have done anything.”

I asked also, if she had dealt with the subject of motherhood in her works, if she is interested of works about motherhood and have she done any artworks with her children.

Julia answered: “I have not specially made art about motherhood. This series of freedom portraits I handle the freedom, but as I am the subject, as it is extended self-portrait, it just happen to be series of the women who are mothers of little children. Difficultness of motherhood I handled with the same importance as the other subjects of my life like curiosity, the experience of landscape, being artist photographer, getting old, world’s and life’s capacity, death, freedom and lack of it, nature etc.

I am interested in art, that concern for example relationships or humanity, and parenthood as it is part of it, but I am not interested especially of mother art or woman art.

I have made some piece of art with my children, but I think it is not yet the right time to exhibit them.”

To the question; what advice she could give to the people of same situation, and what things could have helped her, she answered:

“I think that many things (also in motherhood) are questions of arrangement. If you know, that you need your own time, arrange it. Sooner than too late. Not then when you are already got mixed up in the head. For men it is easier to concentrate on art making, even if one is a father, but that is not thing one should cry or bemoan. It is not fair, but it is all up to you. You have to be on the other hand compassionate, but also realize the facts. Child can’t be thing, which stops you working and stops your creativity. I could not have lived with myself, if I would have left art making just because I got a child or two. That was not an option in any moment. My child wouldn’t have gotten to know the real me.  Just the opposite, they would have gotten false and incomplete information about me!

What could have helped me is a partner, who would have been more present (entrepreneurs have very long working days). What helped me was peer support, meeting people and doing my own art. (My son was only two weeks old, when I was preparing a big photo print to an exhibition I was chosen without warning. Doing my own work felt amazing, some people might think it was really irresponsible!)”