In a collection of photographs of herself, her home and her two children, photographer Bea Nettles has produced a bittersweet look at what she calls
”life`s most difficult undertaking,” motherhood.
”Life`s Lessons: A Mother`s Journal,” an exhibit of 50 photographs and text, will be on display at the State of Illinois Center Tuesday through Jan. 3.
The show documents issues that Nettles faced while her children were between the ages of 7 and 10, including moving to a new city, their fears of being ”stolen” like the missing children on milk cartons and their efforts to handle money. The photographs also show Nettles struggling with motherhood.
Nettles is chairwoman of the photography program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The project received partial funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.
The exhibit will be on display from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday at the State of Illinois Art Gallery, 100 W. Randolph St., Suite 2-100. Admission is free. For information: 312-814-5322.
