the birthworks of
jonathan waller
lorna davies
The images that we hold in our minds eye,
of women in the childbearing period, are the product of years
of exposure to a vast range of representations.
These representations are the creations of, amongst others,
artists, writers, television producers, magazine editors,
friends, family and our own personal experiences. At a micro
level, these images have a profound effect on our personal
philosophies of pregnancy, birth and mothering.
At a macro level they have a significant impact on our
cultural and societal norms and expectations. As attendants
of women and their babies during this important time
in their lives, it is imperative that we, as midwives,
explore our own attitudes, beliefs and values.
If we are to be with women and their families in a way that is
objective, non-judgemental and anti-oppressive, we must
acquire a level of self awareness,that allows us to transcend
our own prejudices, both conscious and unconscious.
By exploring the presentation of women in the childbearing
period through a variety of media, we may come to a greater
understanding of our own ideas about the childbearing process,
and from where these ideas evolved.
Some years ago, I became interested in representations of the
childbearing period in art. I discovered that although there
were a reasonable selection of paintings interpreting the
period of pregnancy, and many portraying the early days of
motherhood, there was a paucity of works pertaining to the
issue of birth. Although artists such as Otto Dix and
Frieda Kahlo, had approached this subject in the past,
there appeared to be few contemporary artists exploring this
area. I have no doubt that there are such works in existence
and hope that this article will prompt others who have knowledge
of such works to contact me.
I resolved to find an artist currently dealing with issues
surrounding birth, and I was delighted to discover the paintings
of an artist called Jonathan Waller, who was creating exactly
the sort of work I had been searching for.
Jonathan's collection of paintings illustrate the wonder of
childbirth. The origins of his interest in the area of birth
stem from personal experience. The birth of his first child
Eva, being the driving force behind his work. Jonathan and
his wife Ruth, had planned for a home delivery, but the labour
was slow and arduous. They ended up in hospital and narrowly
escaped the threat of a Caesarean Section, but Eva was delivered by forceps.
Jonathan openly discusses his feelings in relation
to the experience. He was deeply affected by the set of
circumstances and willingly discusses the traumatic nature
of the encounter which still resonates. He acknowledges that
the paintings were initially, and continue to be so to some
extent, a form of catharsis for him. However one positive
lasting memory that he does carry from that time is the support
from the midwives. This was something he wanted to capture
in his paintings. Indeed, the paintings strongly focus on the
woman and her attendants and not on the medicalisation of the
process with which many of us are so familiar.
The paintings are larger than life-size and the range of images
and stark bold colours used is striking. He uses a variety of
artistic media to create his effects, including gouache, shellac,
carpaint and silk dyes. There are a series of some 54 and they
show proud, sensuous, pregnant women; labouring women in
semi-squatting positions, upright positions and languishing
in water; representations of the woman when the baby's head
is crowning; the expressions of relief when the baby slips
from within her, the normality of an upright mother birthing
her breech baby. The women are always strong, are always in
control, and are always supported.
The artist manages to capture the both the agony
and the triumph of the moment, with astonishing insight.
The paintings are confrontational and uncompromising,
with no room for sentimentality.
The subjects are not shown in hospital, in fact the place
of birth is never explicit, the focus is on the great sense
of power and strength which emanates from the women depicted,
their partners and the midwives featuring in the paintings.
Jonathan does not paint his subjects from real life.
He feels that the experience of his daughter's birth has
rendered it inappropriate for him to encroach on this
intensely personal experience in the name of art. He uses
photographic images and drawings as his starting point and
builds up the remainder from a clearly 'fertile' imagination.
One of the major themes to emerge from discussion with Jonathan
is that of the taboo nature of birth. Jonathan revealed that
when some of his paintings were exhibited some years ago at a
London gallery, one of the works was withdrawn because it was
considered to be too explicit by the gallery staff.
Interestingly, some of the other artists in the show
eventually complained, forcing the gallery to re-hang the
painting three days before the exhibition ended.
Jonathan feels strongly that the taboo surrounding birth
keeps the vision of birth secret, and may contribute
to the trauma experienced by some men who choose to
attend the event with their partner.
He feels that "men are almost pressurised to be in at the birth
these days. But because they do not have the physical
involvement with what is happening that women do, suddenly
being exposed to this powerful painful experience may be quite
terrifying." His rationale for producing works of such an
intimate and integral part of the female psyche may assuage
the concerns of those who feel this area should be the domain
of female artists.
Certainly the paintings did not strike me
personally as a voyeuristic exercise. If anything, they were
an affirmation of masculine awe of the brutal yet tender act
of birth, and of the part played by those directly participating.
However, these paintings certainly do not make any compromises
for the sensitivities of the less than prepared.
The stereotypical and limited representations frequently
portrayed by the media, of either high drama in the delivery
room or cloak and dagger secrecy of birth, do little to
prepare the lay observer for the stark portrayals offered by
Waller. Therefore it is not difficult to empathise with a
degree of reticence, on the part of some observers.
Several years on from the origins of his work, Jonathan has
moved away from his 'Birth' period. There is no question that
the Birth Works are challenging, uncompromising and
confrontational, but by being so they may lead us to question
our own responses, and reflect on the consequences for the
women that we serve.