Grief Baking
Within this body of work Arianna Williamson will use her practice as guidance for healing from grief and loss of a matriarch in her life. Her process will include personal research on grieving in hopes of stitching meaningful ties to her current, human existence and altogether, stabilizing abstract responses to an abstract question: what does one do after the loss?
“Grief Baking” is a digital video narrative which attempts to provide meaning to the question above. The documentation follows matrilineal life and loss through a learned combination of yeast, flour, salt, and water.
“Grief Baking”, 2020, Compilation of video stills, 2559x1436px
“Wrapped Up”, 2020, Dyed fabric, charcoal, acrylic paint, thread and gold seed beads, 2’ x 3’
She met me in a dream, in a place that is frequently indescribable, and yet, her skin was real enough to touch, her hair was strong enough to be brushed, her eyes bright enough to be seen, her voice clear enough to say, “If I could hold you, I would jump into your arms.”
If bread is at the center of care, then Yeast must be as well. Yeast is alive and that lived experience is not one of single-celled individualism but of intergenerational collaboration.
“From my archives: baking with Grandma (2001)”, 2020, photograph of a photograph, 4.75” x 7”
Inside every little paper package and every risen dough lives a Mother cell. She guides the process of bread-baking through and through.
“From my archives: Mom bakes with Grandma (1982)”, 2020, photograph of a Polaroid, 5.75” x 7.5”
“Grief Baking Gallery View”, 2020, fake installation, 1800x1200px
In my mock-up, I hope to bring a domestic and maternal presence into the gallery space. My painting “Wrapped Up” would be hung on the wall via clothespins and family photographs would be framed next to it. My video “Grief Baking” would be projected on a large scale and a vintage, floral (and preferably green) bench would be used for seating. Branches of willow and birch would cover another wall.