MAXX SIZELER

Don’t Count My Mama Out! 2022, Wood: danta / African mahogany, cypress, cherry, sapele, purpleheart; mirror glass.

Creatively interprets the experience of Symphony:

 “I would tell them that even though my mom wasn't there for a long period of time, that she's still a big part in my life...So yeah, do not count my mama out.”

It’s so important that our society reflect on how incarceration affects families. In my interview with Symphony, the 12-year-old youth with whom I am paired for this project, I considered the many hardships her family has experienced, with two family members having been incarcerated. When children live with certain insecurities, it can produce anxiety and fears of abandonment. I was most struck by how protective Symphony is of her mother. Her closing message to me in the interview was “don’t count my mama out!”—very powerful words.

Despite her mother’s past incarceration separating her from her daughter Symphony, their relationship is very strong. This is central to Symphony’s future and emotional growth.I built this piece around Symphony’s words and literally carved them into the wood. The piece is both functional and sculptural. Conceptually, it is about the relationship between a mother and child. In the center, is a horizontal mirror in which two viewers can see their own reflections simultaneously. Placed at the bottom of the mirror are two carved cherry wood hands of a mother and child. The work is divided into two halves—the child side and the mother side. The mother side has a large circular shape with flower petals of “wise” old-growth cypress. The child side is a small circular shape with petals of “young” new-growth cypress. The circular shapes are made of danta wood and the banner with Symphony’s words is old cypress. The pink mirror frame is sapele wood with purple heart banding.