The theater of motherhood

The basic premise of this article is that despite the many representations mothers in history art, maternal image has almost invariably been presented status object, i.e., a reflection value system, interests, and perspective patriarchal culture, not mother herself. This study examines construction ideal western, particularly Israeli, suggests turning point over past twenty years as contemporary artist-mothers (mama’artists) have undermined ideal. To avoid traditional structure into which relegated, adopts matricentric Canadian scholar Andrea O’Reilly, who places at center feminist discourse. With understanding category intersects with, but distinct from, woman, art scholarship must formulate more valid narratives. paper two goals. One to examine how research can contribute analysis work artist-mothers. second identify tools enable expression political-maternal subjectivity. methodology proceeds from these goals, includes voice artist, her personal story, she creates an imagined world. These were obtained by studio meetings with interviews, gender art. video series under was created between 2005 2015 Mali De-Kalo, Israeli mother-artist. revealed original, thought-provoking, ironic artistic reaction dramatic theater-of-the-absurd elements reflect critique mechanisms replication social order its expectations mother. De-Kalo represents new spirit –a artist courageous defiance norm casts object; depicts subject exposes opposes power realms.