Mother

by Judy Olausen, Karin Winegar (Introduction)

In the spirit of William Wegman and Cindy Sherman, Judy Olausen offers up a hilarious yet oddly unsettling collection of portraits of that most sacred of Mother. Photographing her own mother using 1950s-inspired props, she turns a lifelong homemaker into a surreal icon of all-American-style domestic submission. From "Mother as Coffee Table" to "Mother as Doormat" or "Roadkill," Olausen creates visual metaphors for Mother's role in the era just preceding the women's liberation movement.
Vivian Olausen, the sole model in Mother, proved to be an enthusiastic and professional participant. She lugs a boulder up a staircase in "Mother Under Pressure" and drags a cross in "Mother Goes to Market." She's shown strapped to an old sedan, chained to a chair, chased by a giant tarantula in one image and a bear in another - all with good humor. "I'm just Judy's model," says Vivian, "I leave the rest up to her."

Genres: Photography, Art, Humor

96 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1996

Reviews

[Rachel Schmoyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful and insightful photo book. If you’re interested in women’s issues and love mid century modern decor, you’ll like this book too.

[Ted · Rating 4 out of 5]

A number of laugh out loud photos of the author and photographer's Mom. I can't make up my mind which is my favorite - "Mother as Road Kill" or "Mother as Driftwood".

[Diane Madlon-Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

[isi bhakhomen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, nuanced piece that I will treasure forever.

[Lulu · Rating 3 out of 5]

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[Barb Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very funny photographic spoof of Women/ Mothers in the 40's and 50s. Olausen used her own Mother as her sole model. The two of them must have had some halirous times preparing and posing for these photographs. My favorites are The Joys of Cooking and Out to Dry!!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

seriously, the best mother's day present ever.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant. Hilarious photo essays on motherhood, with Olausen's mother as the model. Highly recommended.

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely hilarious! I gave it to my mother-in-law:)

[Svend Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing collaborating between Judy Olausen & her mother, Vivian Olausen. I'm sure, they had a lot of fun doing it. Now the smiles come to the readers of this very funny and creative work.