FEMINA III - Modern Shiva

The third volume of Femina once again addresses the frustrations inherent in the female experience. I could have called it "Mission: Impossible," given how difficult it is to navigate the various roles society imposes on us.

Today, there is finally talk of the "mental load." But back then—when I first arrived in France—the country was experiencing a period of growth. The French state offered women a wide range of benefits. At that time, women were expected to have three children while simultaneously holding down a job. The equation—balancing being a free, independent woman and a mother while leading a fulfilled life—seemed simple.

A generation has passed. Today, women do not want to commit to these kind of relationships or even have children. For, ultimately, it was all a massive deception. Women handled child-rearing and care, housework, and their jobs. Pursuing a career was impossible—at least for those whose husbands lacked the means to afford a nanny and a housekeeper. Today, my generation has had to admit that the deck was stacked.

This quilt speaks to all those frustrations—never enough time to get everything done. Not enough arms to handle every task, not enough legs to run around everywhere. There is always that sense of guilt, stress, and the fear of failure. That feeling that we come last—after the children and "the family's well-being." And where, for that matter, do you even start?Drinking your coffee and catching up on some reading? Giving a bottle? Answering messages—only to grab a real mouse in the confusion instead of the computer mouse? And always, no time for oneself, nor for artistic creation! 

Here, you see the "mother hen" versus the "independent woman." 

The coffee shop—a destination awaiting us, yet one we never reach. 

Legs abound, yet we remain prisoners. 

And even when our eyes are closed, our hands "see" everything that needs doing. (The influence of Leonora Carrington is unmistakable.)

Commercial and designer fabrics, silks, Lutradur, fabric prints, fabric transfers, lace, heat gun, collage. Leftovers from Cancan and Renovation (to harmonize the three Femina panels), from Sleeping Beauty, and The Unexpected.