"Erma" by Federica Armstrong
Erma
Federica Armstrong
Media: Cyanotype on linen and hand-stitched words on organza
Size: 11" x 11" x 3"
Price: NFS
STATEMENT
Woven: Stories of Our Mothers
‘Woven’ explores the experience surrounding maternal loss through visual and oral histories, addressing remembrance and closure as shared themes.
When my mother passed away, I was struck by the affection I received from friends who had already experienced such profound loss. I noticed a sense of unity and inclusion in their expression of grief and support that reflected a deeply personal, yet universal experience.
‘Woven’ consists of portraits of mothers of friends and family members who have passed away, accompanied by interviews with their surviving children.
The portraits are cyanotypes on vintage textiles, and handwritten excerpts from the interviews are stitched on separate organza fabrics layered over the portraits, turning the pieces into intimate, tactile objects.
The smiles of the photographs hide truths made apparent in the interviews, where relationships are exposed, and the complexity of the deep bond between mother and child becomes apparent.
The interviews also expose the role of mothers in our society, how they have processed their dual identity of women and mothers through time and emancipation.
The project is a meditation on our shared human experience of loss, motherly bond, and their singular, multifaceted realities.
BIO
Federica Armstrong is a visual artist born in Italy and living in Palo Alto, CA.
Her storytelling practice encompasses both documentary and fine art works, with a focus on environmental issues and personal narratives that explore themes of intimacy and belonging.
Armstrong's work has been showcased in numerous venues, including the de Young Museum in San Francisco, The Harvard Art Museum in Cambridge, MA, the Los Angeles Center of Photography, and the Rotlicht Festival in Vienna, Austria, among others.
Her images have been featured in publications such as The New York Times, Float Magazine, and Fotofilmic JRNL and her work is part of the Harvard Art Collection.
In 2022, Armstrong was recognized as a Critical Mass Finalist.
