Jean Gray Mohs
Monday Morning: Cetus
Structural Findings Collection, 2015
Charcoal, graphite powder, and acrylic paint on paper
24 x 36 inches
Monday Morning: Cetus is a mixed media work on paper that examines the new routines and patterns that materialize after a pivotal shift in one’s life. This work attempts to capture and reconcile the transformations that shifted in my role and identity after becoming a mother. The work represents two intersecting and overlapping planes of disharmonic, ethereal space within the framework of an architectural place. The precise use of material and movement is meant to pair a confined, isolated space within a more expansive, atmospheric place. The marks made mimic how much movement, how much life is contained in one room. Could those marks be seen from a distance as constellations of activity? If seen, would you also feel swallowed whole?
This series was made as I was on the brink of exhaustion after the first year of my twin’s life. This work feels relevant today as it directly mimics this past pandemic year. It highlights the patterns of movement and how they overlap over the days of monotony and the days of chaos. All in one room. The piece amplifies and visualizes the work of the mother, the exhaustion, and the timeless quality of our days. The title Monday Morning: Cetus references Greek mythology and the bible where the character Cetus is seen as a great whale. This year has swallowed us all whole in some ways and as we slowly reemerge, we all wonder what new patterns will we create.
@jg.fourdots