Artist Statement
"Portrait of a Mother" reflects on personal and universal experiences of motherhood. As artist and mother, I record the private moments within the lives of my family and our domestic space. The images document both the struggles and triumphs of everyday life.

This series began with the birth of my first child Emmet in 2009 and has continued on to record the life of my daughter Elinor, who was born in 2012. My family narrative is revealed through these photographs. These quiet moments are familiar. They can be sweet, but also curious, seductive and dangerous at the same time.

 

 

Joy Christiansen Erb is a contemporary photographer and artist whose creative research explores themes such as memory, identity, and storytelling. Her most recent body of work titled Portrait of a Mother explores the subjects of motherhood and family. This body of work is an autobiographical journey examining the lives of her family and her domestic space. The images included in the series document both the struggles and triumphs of everyday life.

Christiansen Erb’s work has gained recognition through regional and national exhibitions and lectures. Recent exhibition venues include the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland, The Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science in Tallahassee and The Women’s Museum in Dallas. She was the recipient of a SPE/Freestyle Crystal Apple award and a grant recipient from Miami University. Her artwork has been highlighted in a variety of publications including two notable textbooks.

She currently resides in Youngstown, Ohio, where she is an Associate Professor of Photography at Youngstown State University. She received her B.F.A. from Miami University, Oxford, OH and her M.F.A. from Texas Woman’s University.

 

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