In this body of work I consider an ambivalence between critique and celebration of the family. The family can be simultaneously a source of joy and of constraint, both within the family unit and within the patriarchal architecture that fosters the institution.
Patriarchal strictures tend to punish women and children, largely to the benefit of the male “head of household.” Yet great joy and fulfillment can be found within both traditional and non-traditional family groupings.
Status in this context has several meanings: status of the individual within the family; status of the family whether inside or outside of patriarchal conventions (the installation Umbrage refers to babies born outside of marriage); and social status generally (the antique shop paintings are full of status symbols from a past generation that have been abandoned). Fortunately contemporary norms (still enforced in my youth) have abandoned punishing, antiquated notions of “legitimate” and “illegitimate” children, and opprobrium upon unmarried couples, much like the relics abandoned in antique- or thrift shops.