A Choice of Fertile Ground
The cups and balls routine is a common magic trick where the magician places a ball under a series of cups and asks you to keep track of the cup with the ball under it while they quickly switch around the cups. And at the end, you've kept track of the cup, but the ball has disappeared, only to appear in the magician's hand or behind your ear. That's what infertility feels like to me. I am the observer, and the universe is playing a magic trick. If I choose rigorous, expensive infertility treatments, will I have a baby, or will the "ball" be missing? And if I decide not to move forward, will the world judge me for being happy with just being me?
I painted a scene of the cups and balls routine steeped in symbolism. The figure sits split between the halves, surrounded by Fig leaves, an ode to the biblical story of Adam & Eve. The cups are engraved with Peace Lilies, and an ouroboros tattoo wraps around her bicep.
Details:
2 - 11x14” oil painted canvases
The cups and balls routine is a common magic trick where the magician places a ball under a series of cups and asks you to keep track of the cup with the ball under it while they quickly switch around the cups. And at the end, you've kept track of the cup, but the ball has disappeared, only to appear in the magician's hand or behind your ear. That's what infertility feels like to me. I am the observer, and the universe is playing a magic trick. If I choose rigorous, expensive infertility treatments, will I have a baby, or will the "ball" be missing? And if I decide not to move forward, will the world judge me for being happy with just being me?
I painted a scene of the cups and balls routine steeped in symbolism. The figure sits split between the halves, surrounded by Fig leaves, an ode to the biblical story of Adam & Eve. The cups are engraved with Peace Lilies, and an ouroboros tattoo wraps around her bicep.
Details:
2 - 11x14” oil painted canvases
