Description
In the video Mothertext we see a hand placing letters made of paper pulp, spelling “The mother text” in a sink filled with milk. The artist is then seen walking down a long, snow-covered driveway towards the farm where she grew up. The narrator speaks about looking for someone but being unable to find her, about absence. She writes in the snow “where are you?” We see a wall covered with papers dense with hand writing (this is the artist’s video projection Motherwall), and an overlay with hands or gloves.
The narrator continues speaking about memories and remembering, telling what connects her to her lost mother. An electronic piano plays interludes between the narrations. The narrator addresses her mother, telling her about a vision she had while in an acupuncture treatment. We see the hands moving through the milk in the sink. The camera shows the paper letters from the beginning of the video that now are transformed by colourful mold. The artist is again seen on the driveway walking resolutely away from the farm; the narrator speaks about wanting to let go, but not knowing how to say “good-bye”. Many of the scenes use a negative-image video effect to alter the color of the image.
Statement
Mothertext is an imitate piece about the loss of my mother and the process of grieving: forgetting and remembering, and letting go.
Karen Trask, 2024