Private Story
MOTHERHOOD
Summary
My photographs are a reflection of the art of mothering I learned from the lifelong practice of my dear Mom, Ann O'Malley Ferrato.
Ann came from the concerned school of caretaking. In the late 1940's she trained at Bellvue Hospital to be an RN. Her standards were high. Her work ethic was impeccable. Emotional burdens were created by her husband's roving eye but she never lost her spine of steel. My mom treated me differently from my two younger brothers. She admired my streak of independence. From the sacrifices she made,
I knew I would make it on my terms as a free femme. No regrets.
Ann came from the concerned school of caretaking. In the late 1940's she trained at Bellvue Hospital to be an RN. Her standards were high. Her work ethic was impeccable. Emotional burdens were created by her husband's roving eye but she never lost her spine of steel. My mom treated me differently from my two younger brothers. She admired my streak of independence. From the sacrifices she made,
I knew I would make it on my terms as a free femme. No regrets.
I've photographed countless moms in crisis. The struggles are endless... stemming from poverty, sickness, domestic violence, and the constant worry about predators. Being a mother is a privilege, not a punishment. It's a private decision that every woman or gender non-conforming person must be entrusted to make on their own, when they are ready, willing and able.
The only thing I know for sure about Mothers is that they must never drop the ball.
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