Julian Robbins



Attachment (Mother, Mary)





Attachment (Mother, Mary)



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Mary, "the Blessed Virgin Mary," "Mother of God," is the most ubiquitous representation of maternal love and attachment in western culture.


Attachment (Mother, Mary) is a multimedia piece consisting of a ceramic nativity statue of the Virgin Mary and a 2.8" LCD screen. The figure has been shattered and repaired with superglue, chewing gum, and the artist's own blood. She is not more beautiful for having been broken.


Notably absent is the infant Jesus or his Manger. In its place is a screen, documenting the frustrating and painful process of the repair. The video is 43 minutes long, after which time it loops.



The found object in the form of the statuette of The Virgin Mary used in Attachment (Mother, Mary) was the inspiration for the work as a whole. The statuette was a part of a nativity set for sale at a thrift store, but the choice was made to price each statue in the set separately, to sell them separately. By only purchasing the Mary statue, by removing her so fully from her context, that archetypal mother-son bond has been metaphorically severed.