Awake 2012

I made this amulet with hair snippets from my baby's first haircut and some of my own. The art stems from the same need to create personal ritual that i had when i decided to get my first tattoo.

After my child was born I decided the culture lacked meaningfulness, so i commemorated his birth with a tat on the nape of my neck. This was over 35 years ago, and it was only sailors and bikers in the USA that were sporting ink at the time. Though tattoos were big in other cultures, it was considered a primitive form of machismo -a low class, tacky thing. I thought it was the perfect blend of street art, spirit and stoic acceptance of pain -an initiation into motherhood.

With the nearing of 2012 and awakening, my need to honor spirit has taken up with another antique idea reimagined for today. This, like the black rose on my neck, just feels right.