This is a quick sketch of the buttons to select from the main/neutral/original NPR homepage:
Here is a sketch of what the happy webpage might look like:
Project 2 public art intervention:
Edited to Add:
I've updated my idea for the public art project. I want to create a series of postcards with 2 images of celebrity mothers on the front. One of them sexual in some way and the other of them breastfeeding their baby.
This still ties in with the initial idea I had but this particular project is smaller in scope and more targeted. There have been a number of celebrity mothers criticized recently for either breastfeeding in public or for sharing photos of them breastfeeding their babies. Many mothers have run into this serious problem where they are being discriminated against for breastfeeding their babies in public despite their rights to do so.
I am juxtaposing the two images next to each other on the postcard with a quote I found from Lisa Latham from Bitchfest that states, “Everyone Wants to See Your Breasts...Until Your Baby Needs Them.” I think this quote embodies the double edge sword American society places on mothers and women in general. Using celebrities hits the message home since you can easily see the complexity of one recognizable woman.
On the back of the postcard - there are three versions- each with quotes regarding the benefits of breastfeeding from authoritative sources, American Academy of Pediatrics, The American Public Health Association, and the World Health Organization.
These postcards would be placed around the city of Reno- anyplace where postcards can be found. Coffee shops, hospitals, schools, doctor's offices- even stores that sell postcards- such as convenience stores, pharmacies, and souvenir shops.
Here is one example of what I'm working on:
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| front example |
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| back example |
Original ideas:
For the public art project I chose the topic of breastfeeding and body image. As a new mother, this topic is a very personal one but one that I am not alone in. Many new mothers struggle with breastfeeding so much so that only 75% of new mothers try it and only about 40% make it to 3 months and only about 17% make it to 6 months. The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding babies up to 2 years of age and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding babies for at least 6 months exclusively. Both organizations list the many benefits of breastfeeding for babies and mother's health. There are statistics that cite increasing the percentages of breastfeeding can save lives and money. (can provide this info if needed)
Though many people recognize the importance of mothers feeding their babies in this way, American society does not recognize how difficult this process is. As a society, we have gotten away from the "normalization" of breastfeeding so much that most new mothers have never seen it done and thus don't understand how it is done. There is a disconnect between the recognition that breastmilk is good for babies and the method for feeding babies by breast. Though it is legal to publicly breastfeed in many states- in the case of Nevada it is legal on both private and public property- however, there are numerous stories of mothers being harassed, shamed and even discriminated against when feeding their babies. Last year there was a mother at the DMV who was yelled at and told to leave by a supervisor that worked there. Subsequently, a news story ran and even those who were interviewed by the reporter felt that the mother should have covered up more. This is not isolated- there have been reports of mothers on planes, malls, and government institutions where mothers were discriminated against and harassed for feeding their children and then judged harshly. I'm curious as to why a mother feeding a baby is an issue at all in a society that blatantly displays sexualized images of women and breasts on a regular basis- on tv, billboards, magazines, mailings, websites, etc. Why do we care? Why aren't new mothers supported in their new roles? Aren't they raising the future generation?
I want to examine the mother's experiences as new mothers. A mother breastfeeding her baby and facing adversity in doing what should be a very normal human function. Women hide in restrooms, broom closets, cars, segregated away from the rest of the world so that they can nourish their babies.
While this should be considered a normal act, instead many mothers feel isolated, shamed, angry, and frustrated. Why it is offensive to some to see a mother nurse in public yet it's not offensive enough to see billboards of nearly naked women?
I have a few different ideas on developing this piece that would be shown in the park downtown near the river.
One idea is a documentary interviewing mothers on their own experiences - whether they felt support, adversity, alone, isolated, etc. In addition, there would be stills of mothers nursing juxtaposed to photos of more sexualized women from images we see everyday. The bridge shown above would be wrapped and draped with fabric covered completely and then drapery hanging down and tethered to provide a screen. The video would be screened so that it projects on the cloth covered bridge- the spot in particular is a little more quiet- the river sounds can still be heard but it's less swift between two rapids.
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| this is okay? |
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The second idea would be booths constructed with a cloth over-wrapping that drapes down and displayed around the park around the river where the documentary would be shown. The booths are interactive - simulating various environments women have had to either nurse or pump their milk in, including the cab of a truck, a bathroom stall, a broom closet, a cabinet, etc. Each booth would roughly be 5' x 5' and 9' tall. Viewers would be able to sit in each booth and the sound going in would be that of the mother's interviewed.
The bridge and booth's fabric covering would mimic that of a full Afghan chadris or burqa:
Another idea and I'm less sure how I would incorporate this would be to serve food to people in some way but require that they cover their heads with a cloth similar to that above so that others could not see them eat. It is very common for nursing women to use a cover - though with mixed results as most babies prefer not to be covered while they eat.
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