#procreateanthology

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The work of caring and caring for your work -  Irene Pérez

Before having a child I never really gave a thought about the amount of work involved in caring for someone. Even though this kind of work finds its roots in love – indeed it is a labor of love, I find myself despising it because of the time and energy it takes away from the work I care to do, the one that usually takes place in my studio. Nonetheless, both care work and the work I care to do are now sharing the time and space(s) I inhabit. Inseparable, they surround me; they occupy my mind and take over my body trying to push each other aside.

                                               Improvised summer studio 1: The bedroom.

Sometimes finding balance involves making concessions and improvising. I am not good at either. Yet, there is no way out and the time and the space have to be shared and the work I make and care for intrudes and is intruded by the work I do in caring for others.

Irene Pérez

Spain, 2015

PS: The first draft for this text was thought as I was lying by my daughter’s side, in her bed, waiting for her to fall asleep.

                                Improvised summer studio 2: The public swimming pool.

                                             Improvised summer studio 3: The hospital.

                                  Improvised summer studio 4: The dinning room/kitchen.

Visit Irene’s Website

This post is part of the (Pro)Create Anthology, a collection of narratives about the intersection of professional studio practice and parenting.

[procreateanthology]

Heidi Field-Alvarez - Part 1 of 3

The Field-Alvarez family sat down on January, 2nd, 2015 to discuss life with their Artist Mother.

Conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

  Part 1

ON LEARNING FROM THE ARTIST/PARENT

  David (engineer), Heidi (artist), Maya (daughter 10 years old) and

Jade (daughter 12 years old)

    David (Dad): Why is it that when Mommy gives input on your artwork, you totally ignore her and dismiss her thoughts?

  Jade: That’s not true

  D: How do you feel when mommy gives you input on an art project?

  Jade: Sometimes I get annoyed.

  D: Why?

J: Because I want to do it how I want to do it

  Heidi (Mom): But don’t you think I have some expertise there to impart?

  J: That’s why I listen to you when I feel like I don’t know what to do but when I do know what to do and I don’t want your input [then] I don’t listen to you.

  D: Ok, Heidi how do you feel when she doesn’t listen to you and you feel like she is doing it the wrong way or not taking your ideas seriously?

  H: Well, now [that she is 13] I just have to let her do that and bite my tongue and it’s extremely difficult so usually I just have to walk away but when she was little I wanted to just make her do it.

  D: Why is it difficult for you? Why is it difficult for you to leave the heck alone and let her do her own work however she wants?

  H: Umm, because I want her to be the best she can be…

  D: Okay, so you feel like she’s not really realizing her full potential because she doesn’t listen to you effectively?

  H: You’re just making this way too serious.

      Heidi’s Reflects on the conversation:

  What I might have said here was yes, but I didn’t. I think tension was flaring a bit as this is an ongoing situation which gets frustrating in our family, I suppose because we are all perfectionists in our own way! It does make me feel a bit angry or annoyed when either of my daughters don’t listen. It is that thing where you have something that you know could make it easier or better for a person and you just want to give it to them but they are not ready to have/accept it. It is a bit of a let down but you know you just have to wait until they are ready. Patience is difficult! They will grow when all the elements are there for them to accept new information. I walk away to give my girls the time and space to come to the realization themselves that they “might” improve their work if they get/ask for help.

Heidi Field-Alvarez

Visit Heidi's Website and Etsy Shop

This post is part of the (Pro)Create Anthology, a collection of narratives about the intersection of professional studio practice and parenting.

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Simone Endress

My life isn't that different from a normal kid's, honestly. But there are a few things, like the fact that on all my weekends, I'm at a studio or art gallery with my dad going through the "Art Critique Process", and lying that we will be leaving in 10 minutes. Also, sometimes I'll call my dad and he'll just be too stressed to talk because he's working on a show or something like that. By "babysitter" he means the person nearest to us that he works with. My dad also is constantly pointing out examples of how he can "see the world differently" as an artist. One time, he predicted a restaurant was Greek just by the "style" of  the sign (F.Y.I. If it says it on the sign, it doesn't count.) However, he has been able to tell something from a sign without cheating before. Being the daughter of an artist also means a lot of unwanted judgement. I have also helped my dad on a few projects, I've made a sculpture, painted a chair, ect. I like to involved and his work, though, and I'm grateful for all of this (except for the judgement.) So overall, having an artist for a dad is pretty neat.

-Simone, Age 11

Daughter of Edgar Endress

Read Edgar's Post 

This post is part of the (Pro)Create Anthology, a collection of narratives about the intersection of professional studio practice and parenting.

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Edgar Endress

There is an aspect of being a father as a familiar figure, it is natural to the process but peripheral for some.  Simone was born in the same set of circumstances that have dictated our parenting life--in distance. Lori gave birth in Virginia and I was teaching in New Jersey. I made it on time to be part of the birth experience as much as I could be part, to observe and document. Giving birth changed everything for us because  distance was always a factor, 7 hours commute didn’t make it easy. Under those circumstances the European attitude of having the father also on parental leave makes sense. But in fact, Lori didn't even get paid parental leave. For me my studio is where I am, I work with what I have, so I never felt limited by lack of access to the studio. Lori and I never stopped doing what we planned to do, Simone was three weeks old when we presented our work at a conference in Atlanta and the organizer was rocking Simone while we talked. But what really helped us was a residency in Germany. Lori, Simone, and I were in Germany almost a full year in a castle in Stuttgart. Simone learned to walk there and we traveled together in Europe.  There was always an inclination to make the kids (now two, Ian  was born in 2006) part of our academic, research life. Both of them have been exposed to lectures in migration and anthropology, as we didn’t have babysitters or they were sick and we happened to be in different places. They confess they don’t particularly like that, but they got used it. A year ago, Simone presented my work at an opening  because I was was away doing an lecture. Being part of our family means being part of every aspect of our lives.

-Edgar Endress

Simone and Lori

Visit Edgar's Website

This post is part of the (Pro)Create Anthology, a collection of narratives about the intersection of professional studio practice and parenting.