Amy Johnston Fine Art

Over the past year I have been experiementing with a range of materials to create sculptures which represent reseach around maternity, pregnancy and motherhood, from the medical to the social and poltical aspects.

Through my art works I want to however ambiguously be able to use it as a way to validate individual womens emotions who have been shunned and ridiculed by society for their experiences of maternity, labour and pregnancy and how these roles and acts effect their femininity and identity as a result.

“Mass Inertia” Exhibtion (2024)

The Umbilical Noose, (2024)
chicken wire, mod-roc, fabric, plaster, jute rope, 192cm x 147cm.

The Chains of Maternity, (2024)
Chicken wire, mod-roc, fabric, plaster, 125cm x 96cm.

The Umbilical Noose and The Chains of Maternity, Installation

My art is an act of resistance as a woman, it is both relevant on a personal and social level. This installation features two works, The Umbilical Noose (2024) and The Chains of Maternity (2024). These works both tackle my experiences and research around motherhood, pregnancy and labour. Within this installation there is a conversation between the two sculptures, both represent two different issues originating from the role of maternity, one medical and one social.

The Umbilical Noose is based on my experiences and research of medical negligence cases during labour. This is a highly relevant subject as recently more hospital maternity and labour units are being inquired into. This is due to a lack of proper research around womens health in medicine and acknowledgement of their needs. Failings by medical institutions to properly treat women around the time of labour can result in women being traumatised or left with life long medical conditions. As a child effected by breaches of duty at the time of my birth I understand personally how incompetence in labour can lead to life long conditions and traumas for both mother and baby.

The Chains of Maternity represent the duel burden women face within a post modern society, being expected to fulfil both the roles of care giver in the family and to be successful in the public sphere with a fulfilling career. Women must fulfil these roles within society to be viewed as a successful woman, however these roles all interlock impacting one another from academic and career successes, too an individuals physical and mental health. The Chain of Maternity is a physical representation of the weight these roles hold over women.