Rebecca Hastings The hoodie (his)

The hoodie (his) is part of a broader exploration of themes relating to ‘maternal ambivalence’, reflecting my desire to subvert the romantic ideals of motherhood. Through this painting I imagine a world in which it is the adults, and not the children, who are in charge. In this place of otherworldly calm and order, these children display perfect behaviour that is disquietingly unnatural and subtly threatening, and represents a reclaiming of the control I once experienced BC (Before Children).

The work acknowledges the uneasy side of motherhood; the other mother overwhelmed with anxiety, guilt, powerlessness, fear and frustration.

- Rebecca Hastings, 2014