Teri Tera
Without A Net
Series: Letting Go
Image Created: 2023
Medium: Digital Photomontage with Hand Stitching
Edition: 2
Print: 1/2
Framed: $350
Frame: 24″ x 18″
Hear from Teri
From the artist
Without a Net is inspired by the moment when a mother lets go of a child so they can become independent. In the act of letting go, a mother must override her instinct to protect her child. It’s also the moment when a child flies free to take their own risks.
Without a Net is a montage featuring a breastplate collage created with my photographs of dying agave and Japanese floral washi paper. The plant-like form is a take on a Bird of Paradise. The collage is painted and stitched. The gesture of the mother figure recalls the pregnant belly, while the figure herself is beyond child bearing years. This juxtaposition is inspired by past memories and present realities.
The child’s drawing of a bird-girl, stitched into the surface of the photograph, springs into flight with joy.
Note: The drawings are the work of my (now adult) children and they have given their mom permission to use their work.