Rodney
Exhibited Nov 2003, group show ‘Axed’. CAE Gallery, Flinders St Melbourne
Large scale prints, baby doll, ink, stickers
In 2003 I worked with a group of women who were either pregnant or new mothers. It was an open plan office. The atmosphere was alive with baby talk. Endless baby talk. I wasn’t part of the conversation. At the time my partner and I were trying to conceive, unsuccessfully. Over a period of months I secretly noted snippets of the baby talk (see baby talk words below). An anxious dictation.
I was curious about the joy and apprehension embodied in the baby talk, and I wanted to explore this tension. So I purchased a small and very realistic looking plastic baby doll. It was a little creepy.
Not sure what to do with the doll I started drawing large scale charcoal images of it. I soon realised it was larger than life and decided to photograph it. In fact my brother Luis photographed the doll with his high quality SLR digital camera.
I manipulated the doll image and had it printed on a 1.7 metre tall piece of paper. I then laboriously wrote the secret baby-talk notes on the image using a fountain pen and red ink. I ruled the image with guide-lines, similar to those used for teaching children how to write.
By this stage the baby had a name – Rodney.
I made a second 1.7 metre tall image with a ruled grid.
I also made small square stickers of parts of Rodney, which the viewers used to assemble an image of Rodney. The grid and stickers gave the impression of a jig-saw puzzle that could be resolved into a complete image. However the stickers did not make a complete picture.
Baby talk words
- And she said, who the hell is Georgia – it’s my baby
- I don’t believe in strappy outfits for babies
- Have you had any other cravings
- When you’re pregnant you can go from a c-cup to a d-cup and back again within months
- Since I’ve stopped breast feeding my clothes don’t fit
- My breasts are smaller
- Yes your baby photo
- You were barely a bump when I left
- We’d better go to lunch now because it might pop out any minute
- I need more sleep now, I get more tired
- Two women went into labour
- You have to keep track of which breast you last used
- I kept a breast feeding log for 12 months, when she’s old enough I’ll show her
- Tried the lumpy food but she hated it and threw up
- She’ll be ok when she gets teeth
- You are over 5 months
- The ultrasound, you want to see the picture?
- We didn’t want to know the sex, we want to be surprised
- Wow that’s the head, and there’s an arm, and look two big holes in the head, yes I can see that – such a cute baby
- Did it move much
- It wasn’t moving much.
- Did you try the cold water trick?
- I can feel it moving, like little whispers
- After you’ve had it you’re kind of thrilled that it’s out, but you can never have those feelings of something moving in you again.
- The website is called babynames.com
- I got the hot pink outfit, hey I’m not interested in baby clothes
- There’s not a mother in the world that wouldn’t have had a split second feeling wanting to kill her kid
- Some couples get the egg of one partner and put it into the womb of the other and then get sperm from a friend
- Wait to see your own ultrasound
- I’ve always wanted to have a million babies
- You don’t want to jinx your baby
- It’s the most ungracious event of your life, but don’t let the crapping put you off
- You need a strainer to scoop the poo out of the water
- Did you have a little fashion parade last night?
- To open the door and see the expression of excitement on her face, is such a good feeling
- The best thing about 2 year olds is that they get exited about anything
- Show daddy, show daddy
- Breast fed babies don’t exma, and all that stuff
- She had exma whether I gave her breast milk, cows milk or powdered milk
- The feeling of being needed is so overwhelming
- Myers has a 25% off sale on baby shoes
- I went to change his nappy and he said ‘want mummy to go away’ ..’want mummy to go back to work’ … then he said ..‘want mummy to go to work on red train’
- I’ve put on two kilos since I stopped breast feeding
- You need it!
- We’ve all been popping girls
- Yeah, well at least it’s out of the way and she’s enjoying the baby
- The last few weeks are always uncomfortable
- They didn’t say how long the labour was
- It’s bigger than I though it would be
- My sister is a size 8 and her baby was 9 and half pounds
- They give you hormones to induce the baby
- I had wine everyday after it popped out
- She had a bottle this morning
- She really hasn’t been good on solids
- She’s been rather projectile lately
- Give her the nice big bottle
- She turned 1 last week
- Probably better now than her getting heavier
- Due date was last Friday
- She’s doing the statistical thing
- Have gone from a baby that can’t do anything to a baby with motor skills
- It’s not a sexual thing, it’s a sensual thing
- It went very long, started early Friday went to Saturday
- Hey I can beat that!
- It’s so depressing when they latch on to the most crass toy – yeah when they have the most beautiful teddies
- Her entire dietary intake last night was a bowl of ice-cream
- The one I didn’t plan was much easier
- It was like an experience of light shooting into my body, and I told my partner that conception had occurred
- There is some truth about what the lamas say
- With my second child I didn’t know I had conceived until four months after it happened
- The person you are giving birth to has been around for a long – a new coming into consciousness
- Whether you’ve had an abortion or lost it naturally
- From the lama’s point of view it’s not just the parents karma the incarnate consciousness has the responsibility of choosing it’s parents
- There’s a karmic force also involved in pregnancy – there’s more than just oneself involved
- When they turn 1 their immune system changes making them more prone to diseases
- Oh, and some of the sick kids in the day care were snotty and coughing
- You can become a bit obsessed about it
- There’s so much anxiety, it’s hard to ignore.
- What’s it like the second time around, does it get easier?
- Well you’re more prepared for it.
- When she wakes up you can feed her
- The doctor said to watch the fluids and make suer the nappies are wet
- Is he in pyjamas or still in jump suits?
- Yes we are obsessed with babies aren’t we
- My second one felt lie an alien, I thought what is this thing doing disrupting my comfy life
- At least he’s now sleeping
- She said her first word, she looked up, pointed at the ball and said ‘ball’, it was a beautiful moment
- It’s terrible, her bottom looks so bad
- Try the fresh peas, he’ll probably like them
- He’s a bit like that at times, he pecks at the food, but he’ll eat the sausages
- No you can’t run around the tram, stay here
- What does it feel like to have him on your skin?
- He feels soft and warm, so vulnerable
- He crawled for the first time, it was amazing
- Do you have any idea how much kids eat?
- Mummy, saw nana, saw nana…pease mummy
- Cut the apple juice and the tantrums diminish dramatically
- He had the inspired idea that he might drive the car
- We get the odd tanti now and then, he just screams a bit then he calms down
- It must be amazing to watch them crawl for the first time
- Make sure you burp him really well
- You don’t always get a burp out of him, just give him a pat on the back and see what happens
- Yes, I do regret the termination
- You were a different person then
- My baby has a viral infection that has lasted 3 weeks
- And then she’s hungry
- So she’s habituated into some strange things and you have to get her back to normal
- There are little beings with little fingers that can swallow a pin and might die
- I think you can give her a sandwich now
- Pretel, what are you doing with a baby
- It’s not scary, it’s only a baby
- The printer is giving birth to Rodney now
- That’s how babies are, in your face
- Being perfect as you are, there is no need to go any further
- But this perfection stays always here now, and you, Being Grace, have this beauty that opens before you always
- I think of right zazen as like holding a baby in ones arms
- You hold a baby gently otherwise you will hurt it
- You also hold it firmly otherwise you will drop it
- It’s a constant chasing of their own emotional needs – they can’t see anyone else
- It hard to pick the ones who are truly dangerous form those who are just incompetent
- You have no idea, I thought I was going to die
- Yeah, tell me about it
- The way I’m felling it looks like their giving birth
- Sorry I’m so late, I was really sick this morning
- And leave the babies alone
- And she said, who the hell is Georgia – it’s my baby
- I don’t believe in strappy outfits for babies
- Have you had any other cravingsWhen you’re pregnant you can go from a c-cup to a d-cup and back again within months
- Since I’ve stopped breast feeding my clothes don’t fit
- My breasts are smaller
- Yes your baby photoYou were barely a bump when I left
- We’d better go to lunch now because it might pop out any minute
- I need more sleep now, I get more tired
- Two women went into labour
- You have to keep track of which breast you last usedI kept a breast feeding log for 12 months, when she’s old enough I’ll show her
- Tried the lumpy food but she hated it and threw up
- She’ll be ok when she gets teeth
- You are over 5 months
- The ultrasound, you want to see the picture?
- We didn’t want to know the sex, we want to be surprised
- Wow that’s the head, and there’s an arm, and look two big holes in the head, yes I can see that – such a cute baby
- Did it move much? It wasn’t moving much.
- Did you try the cold water trick?
- I can feel it moving, like little whispers
- After you’ve had it you’re kind of thrilled that it’s out, but you can never have those feelings of something moving in you again.
- The website is called babynames.com
- I got the hot pink outfit, hey I’m not interested in baby clothes
- There’s not a mother in the world that wouldn’t have had a split second feeling wanting to kill her kid
- Some couples get the egg of one partner and put it into the womb of the other and then get sperm from a friend
- Wait to see your own ultrasound
- I’ve always wanted to have a million babies
- You don’t want to jinx your babyIt’s the most ungracious event of your life, but don’t let the crapping put you off
- You need a strainer to scoop the poo out of the water
- Did you have a little fashion parade last night?
- To open the door and see the expression of excitement on her face, is such a good feeling
- The best thing about 2 year olds is that they get exited about anything
- Show daddy, show daddy
- Breast fed babies don’t get exma, and all that stuff
- She had exma whether I gave her breast milk, cows milk or powdered milk
- The feeling of being needed is so overwhelming
- Myers has a 25% off sale on baby shoes
- I went to change his nappy and he said ‘want mummy to go away’ ..’want mummy to go back to work’ … then he said ..‘want mummy to go to work on red train’
- I’ve put on two kilos since I stopped breast feeding
- You need it!
- We’ve all been popping girls
- Yeah, well at least it’s out of the way and she’s enjoying the baby
- The last few weeks are always uncomfortable
- They didn’t say how long the labour wasIt’s bigger than I though it would be
- My sister is a size 8 and her baby was 9 and half pounds
- They give you hormones to induce the baby
- I had wine everyday after it popped out
- She had a bottle this morning
- She really hasn’t been good on solids
- She’s been rather projectile lately
- Give her the nice big bottle
- She turned 1 last week
- Probably better now than her getting heavier
- Due date was last Friday
- She’s doing the statistical thing
- Have gone from a baby that can’t do anything to a baby with motor skills
- It’s not a sexual thing, it’s a sensual thing
- It went very long, started early Friday went to Saturday
- Hey I can beat that!
- It’s so depressing when they latch on to the most crass toy – yeah when they have the most beautiful teddies
- Her entire dietary intake last night was a bowl of ice-cream
- The one I didn’t plan was much easier
- It was like an experience of light shooting into my body, and I told my partner that conception had occurred
- There is some truth about what the lamas say
- With my second child I didn’t know I had conceived until four months after it happened
- The person you are giving birth to has been around for a long time – a new coming into consciousness
- Whether you’ve had an abortion or lost it naturally
- From the lama’s point of view it’s not just the parents karma the incarnate consciousness has the responsibility of choosing it’s parents
- There’s a karmic force also involved in pregnancy – there’s more than just oneself involved
- When they turn 1 their immune system changes making them more prone to diseases
- Oh, and some of the sick kids in the day care were snotty and coughing
- You can become a bit obsessed about it
- There’s so much anxiety, it’s hard to ignore.
- What’s it like the second time around, does it get easier?
- Well you’re more prepared for it.
- When she wakes up you can feed her
- The doctor said to watch the fluids and make suer the nappies are wet
- Is he in pyjamas or still in jump suits?
- Yes we are obsessed with babies aren’t we
- My second one felt lie an alien, I thought what is this thing doing disrupting my comfy life
- At least he’s now sleeping
- She said her first word, she looked up, pointed at the ball and said ‘ball’, it was a beautiful moment
- It’s terrible, her bottom looks so bad
- Try the fresh peas, he’ll probably like them
- He’s a bit like that at times, he pecks at the food, but he’ll eat the sausages
- No you can’t run around the tram, stay here
- What does it feel like to have him on your skin?
- He feels soft and warm, so vulnerable
- He crawled for the first time, it was amazing
- Do you have any idea how much kids eat?
- Mummy, saw nana, saw nana…pease mummy
- Cut the apple juice and the tantrums diminish dramatically
- He had the inspired idea that he might drive the car
- We get the odd tanti now and then, he just screams a bit then he calms down
- It must be amazing to watch them crawl for the first time
- Make sure you burp him really well
- You don’t always get a burp out of him, just give him a pat on the back and see what happens
- Yes, I do regret the termination
- You were a different person then
- My baby has a viral infection that has lasted 3 weeks
- And then she’s hungry
- So she’s habituated into some strange things and you have to get her back to normal
- There are little beings with little fingers that can swallow a pin and might die
- I think you can give her a sandwich now
- Pretel, what are you doing with a baby
- It’s not scary, it’s only a baby
- The printer is giving birth to Rodney now
- That’s how babies are, in your face
- Being perfect as you are, there is no need to go any further
- But this perfection stays always here now, and you, Being Grace, have this beauty that opens before you always
- I think of right zazen as like holding a baby in ones arms
- You hold a baby gently otherwise you will hurt it. You also hold it firmly otherwise you will drop it.
- It’s a constant chasing of their own emotional needs – they can’t see anyone else
- It hard to pick the ones who are truly dangerous form those who are just incompetent
- You have no idea, I thought I was going to die
- Yeah, tell me about it
- The way I’m feeling it looks like their giving birth
- Sorry I’m so late, I was really sick this morning
- And leave the babies alone
