A Time when Men were Men, and Women were Rugs

Matrescence is something experienced solely by the mother (or birthing partner) and with that comes a loss in bodily autonomy, identity and societal standing. The artist uses the concept of matrescence by exploring how motherhood ideology shapes an experience of a ‘new mom.’  The series started a few months after her son was born, as in her exhaustion, Wunderink joked to her partner that she started to melt into the walls of her house, no longer able to detect her own identity.

Wunderink wants to acknowledge Superframe for rewarding her the  Framing Grant Award for this show. 

Rachelle Wunderink identifies as a queer feminist woman whose work explores the implication of gender. Her body of work focuses on how women move through the world navigating issues of sexual assault trauma, motherhood, and ‘women’s work’. More recently she has started to explore the idea of matrescence or change of identity when becoming a mother. While her work is autobiographical it still maintains an understanding of the current cultural zeitgeist.

Her practice incorporates mixed-media painting, collage, video and installation focused on the replication, layering and abstraction of images. She often works with found materials reflective of women’s craft and domesticity by elevating these objects. The overlapping of materials signifies the importance that these objects hold while often abstracting their true meaning. This allows her audience to explore the artist’s intent behind the remixing of these materials.

Visit Rachelle’s website here