How Not to Exclude Artist Mothers (and other parents)

How Not to Exclude Artist Mothers (and other parents)

Hettie Judah Lund Humphries, 2023, 104 pp.

AS I READ through How Not to Exclude Artist Mothers (and other parents) by Hettie Judah, I was awash with memories and mixed emotions. As the book relays the experiences of artist parents – in the form of interviews, case studies on artworks and institutional structures, and references to relevant literature on the topic – I recalled some of my own experiences of being an artist mother. Shame and gratitude, embarrassment and joy pulsated through my veins as I read over the many different ways that artist mothers and other parents attempt to navigate the challenging terrain of balancing creative work and childcare.

Individuals often endure inhospitable barriers, with relief usually coming from others who have gone through these same struggles. However, Judah makes clear that this does not have to be the case. The art world can change, and she provides valuable and practical suggestions as to how this can happen. Part of this process involves addressing prejudices around motherhood while also changing art world conventions that make it challenging, if not impossible, to care for children.

The book is organised around the different institutional structures that an artist may engage with throughout their career: art school, the studio, residencies, commercial galleries, and major public institutions. Judah emphasises how exclusions are two-fold: firstly, there are the practical challenges relating to “motherhood as a lived condition” (p 31); secondly, there is a need for greater acceptance of the maternal as subject matter, presented by those who live it. While there is a prolonged history of pregnancy and motherhood in religious painting, epitomised through images of the Virgin Mary, references to motherhood beyond these iconic tropes are generally lacking in the art historical canon.

Judah shifts her discussions from the practicalities of finding a private space where nursing mothers can use breast pumps, and cultivating studio environments that are supportive of artists with children, to extending the canon to include the maternal as subject matter, especially in art schools, where many artists are exposed to influential figures that will stick with them throughout their careers. While the latter is a broader issue that exceeds the scope of the book, Judah effectively directs readers to resources, including artists, artworks, and additional readings on the maternal in art.

An artist, more often than not, is self-employed and therefore lacks the protections available to those in corporate or civic employment. In addition, the art world is a precarious reputation-based economy that “operates overwhelmingly through public presence, word of mouth, informal networks and introductions” (p 20), which demand huge flexibility on behalf of the artist to be present and available. It is also generally a low-income profession, if the artist does not have supplemental income through teaching or other work, which

can further impede access to childcare. Art is not a typical 9 to 5 profession either; it tends to be unstructured, which can make it challenging to find the appropriate time to produce work effectively.

Judah resists a one-size-fits-all approach, emphasising instead how the needs and opinions of artist mothers and other parents vary. Becoming a parent is not the same for all artists, and even increased communication and adaptability regarding the needs and capacities of an individual can make significant transformations. In general, Judah recommends expanding and rethinking how we can structure and support the work of artists, which is not just restricted to artist mothers and parents but “also artists with other caregiving responsibilities, as well as those with mobility or health issues” (p 57).

Judah gives excellent credit to the significance of self-organising, where the creation of groups and networks can support individual alliances while developing the foundations for “new creative and political alliance” (p 25). However, this is not enough. Major art institutions have access to the resources, capacities, and influence to make pragmatic changes for inclusion and support. In contrast, artist mothers, who are generally involved in organising support systems for others, give their limited time and energy to lead the change in a career field that is antagonistic to their presence. This situation also exacerbates other forms of inequality and discrimination already present in the art world, since those with access to certain resources and privilege will be able to dedicate the time and energy required for such work, which is often unacknowledged labour.

I would recommend Judah’s book to those working in positions that could make change happen, including museum and gallery directors, administrators, art school management, funding bodies, those who runs residences, and managers of studio spaces. Many of the suggestions come down to improved communication, flexibility, and better access to affordable childcare. The onus should not always be on the artist mothers and other parents to make these changes but should take place in collaboration with the institutional structures encountered throughout an artist’s career.

EL Putnam is an artist-philosopher based in County Westmeath. She is author of the monograph, The Maternal, Digital Subjectivity, and the Aesthetics of Interruption (Bloomsbury, 2022). elputnam.com

Both images: Cover image and interior pages, Hettie Judah, How Not to Exclude Artist Mothers (and other parents) photographs courtesy of Lund Humphries.