With this work I wanted to reveal a lesser understood aspect of postpartum depression; not the pain, nor the desire to hurt one's baby, but the nothingness that can consume a new mother, and the effects of that on the infant. For this reason the composition is purposely off balance. The mother and child are in complete physical contact and yet emotionally in complete disconnect. The mother stares off at nothing, as oblivious to the baby on her lap as she is to the tears that run down her face. The infant is in mild distress, vaguely aware that something is missing but completely helpless to understand what or why.
With this work I wanted to reveal a lesser understood aspect of postpartum depression; not the pain, nor the desire to hurt one's baby, but the nothingness that can consume a new mother, and the effects of that on the infant. For this reason the composition is purposely off balance. The mother and child are in complete physical contact and yet emotionally in complete disconnect. The mother stares off at nothing, as oblivious to the baby on her lap as she is to the tears that run down her face. The infant is in mild distress, vaguely aware that something is missing but completely helpless to understand what or why.