BED-LAM

In ‘Bed-lam,’ I explore the impact of a child who bears witness to her Mother’s psychotic episode, their resulting separation, the transformation of their respective roles, and a lifetime of dissonance.

I carved the images of Mother and Daughter in linocut, a form a relief printmaking in which the recesses, in this case their features, are carved away and only remains on the surface. This mirrors the exhibit’s exploration of how a mother suffering psychosis may be absent as a parent, both physically and emotionally, yet remain forever present for a child who may feel loss, shame and the burden of life-long care.

A bed is synonymous with sleep, relaxation, recuperation and intimacy. A place for early childhood memories, "‘new relationships, and the passing of those close to us. And yet, for some, a place of loneliness and despair. Drawing inspiration from this dichotomy, I ask you to navigate the bed frames in this room and come up with your own meaning within the current context.

Psychosis is a break from reality, it often results in institutionalism. What takes place when a person enters that institution? What happens to the people who bear witness to such an event? One is taken away from the world. The other may be asked to depart their known world. Both people share a desire to escape, to flee.

Bed-Lam will be exhibited from January 31 to February 23rd at the Lee Matasi Gallery, on the main floor of the Ottawa School of Art, 35 George St., Ottawa.

BEHIND THE SCENES

All photographs by Ciara Kilpatrick.