Radically Repositioning Trauma and Mothering Through a Wit(h)nessing Lens
This project explores intergenerational Holocaust trauma in relation to mothering, situated within my personal matrilineal family story. The reparative nature of this research focuses not only on the original trauma rupture of the Holocaust but the traces of trauma that reside in the maternal bodies of my lineage. The artworks of this project present a chorus of voices that traverse time, generations, cultures, and places anchored through a reassertion of the maternal gaze in the form of witnessing through a camera’s lens. This research explores how a camera, as a third party, can play the role of a witness and listener that can bring new awareness and knowledge of the impact of Holocaust trauma on mothering. The project aims to interrupt generational patterns of trauma between the mother-child dyad. I privilege trauma recovery and mothers’ welfare as a universal social need that can impact all aspects of well-being in societies.
