Breaking in Two: Provocative Visions of Motherhood
A documentary film by Sabine Sighichelli featuring Linda Vallejo
“To the artist creating art is not a career choice: It is an all-consuming quest. What happens when the artist becomes a mother?”
In the feature-length documentary BREAKING IN TWO, Sabine Sighicelli, a mother herself, meets with a cross generational group of influential women artists and authors, including Linda Vallejo, who have faced ever-changing personal and political challenges to keep their art alive, their children healthy and their heads above water. Although books have been written on the subject and some films have profiled non-commercial artists & writers who are also mothers, no film has focused solely on the artist mother’s dilemma in the modern world. Art more than anything is a vehicle for change — What is unique about “Breaking in Two” is, while exploring the implications of combining motherhood with art, it actively brings together 3 generations of a diverse group of artists, authors and educators who will reflect on their experience as mothers in the arts and artist-mothers through the creation of work.
Breaking in Two will feature a multi-cultural group of four generations of nationally and internationally recognized artist-mothers selected to represent the multi-faceted and changing realities of motherhood. The exhibition explores the intimate and sensuous experience of the artist as mother, and the evolving image and place of the mother, which underwent huge transformations during the post-war years and especially during the Women’s Movement of the late 60s and 70s—transformations that have impacted the very fabric of our culture today. Breaking in Two will include various trends and styles of painting and drawing, sculpture, collage and assemblage, installation, photography, film/video, performance art, and poetry/writing. The participating artists include: Abeles Kim, Albuquerque Lita, Antin Eleanor, Asselin Michele, Buchanan Nancy, Callis Jo Ann, Dallal Joyce, Finkel Bruria, Garcia Margaret, Gaulke Cheri, Gearon Tierney, Hernandez Judithe, Horwitz Channa, Jacobi Katherine, Kelly Mary, Lazzari Margaret, *Liss Andrea PhD, **M.A .M. A, McCarty Kim, Moss MaryLinda, **Mother Art, Mueller Sandra, Petropoulos Renee, **Pearls of Wisdom: End the Violence, Preston Astrid, Saar Betye, Saar Alison, Saar Lezley, Saar Agustsson Sola, Santo Reva, Sher Sylvia, *Shimshon Santo Amy PhD, Siff Mary Elena, Simons Silver Simon, Vallejo Linda, Wayne June, Weisberg Ruth, and Yasuda Kim