Sarah Detweiler
Hidden (Grieving) Mother
2020
Oil, acrylic & thread on raw canvas
12 x 12 inches
Nominated by Dani Vinokurov
Sarah's work is haunting and captivating. Her “Hidden Mother” series is a response to the Victorian-era trend by the same name. Mothers draped themselves in fabric in order to “blend” into the background while holding their children still for long exposure photography. Their attempts to camouflage themselves is eerie and ghost-like, and very much a metaphor for how many mothers feel about themselves, their bodies and their emotions—things to be concealed. In this particular piece, Sarah reflects on the experience of pregnancy loss and at what point the woman takes on the role of mother.