Bearing
toner on silk, audio, 2006
Larger-than-life portraits of mother and child printed on silk are accompanied by testimonials from the black teen mothers about their pregnancies and lives following. While the photography is rich and detailed, reminiscent of the religious paintings of Mother and Child, the audio is a raw narrative conversation. These two media combine to reflect the girls' actual stories and hardships while demonstrating the respect deserved to all mothers regardless of race and social background.
Bearing was first installed at FUEL House in Philadelphia, PA in 2006. For images of the installation, please visit the Solo Show page.
The portraits and audio testimonials are currently installed in The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore through August 1st, 2010 as part of McCallum Tarry's first mid-career solo show, Bearing Witness: Work by Bradley McCallum & Jacqueline Tarry. For more information regarding this installation and the show's multiple venues, please visit the Solo Show page.
Bearing, 2006 Audio excerpt