HI MOM - I BUILT A NEST II
Hi Mom - I Built a Nest II
I built a nest, a nest made of quilts in response to the birth of my first child. As his creator, I feel responsible for instilling a sense of security, both physically and mentally, within him and his environment. Common to both humans and animals, the uncontrollable desire to prepare, clean and fortify one’s home from external threats is referred to as a ‘nesting instinct’. To help with this preparation, there has been a long tradition of women creating items by hand like quilts and knitted blankets for the expected child. More than just functional, each object represents community, love, family, and security. These are the items I used to build my nest. They represent this positivity present in the world yet the nest mere existence is a response to my desire to protect my child from all that is negative in the world. The nest is a warm, safe place while its location in a RV and the ominous audio, the common phrase 'hi mom' looped into distortion, reminds us that this secure place is fragile and always threatened. The overall irreverency of the installation is a reminder that humor plays an important role in coping with the negative. I, as a mother now, must be diligent to keep his security in tact.
