Bad Mother / Good Mother

Abstract

Bad Mother / Good Mother is an audiovisual performance that explores societal perceptions about ideal and non-ideal motherhood through sound and projected visuals. The sound comes from an amplified breast pump, while the visuals are projected on a single screen. In the performance, the artist plays the breast pump at different speeds. She plays it as a solo instrument and as part of an arrangement, and---at certain points in the performance---processes the breast pump sound using filters. This paper situates the performance within a discussion of how audiovisual performance can help express the relationship between gender and invisible labor.