Mamamay i

Suzanne McClelland

Part of the Contemporary American Graphics Collection

Much of Suzanne McClelland’s work deals with the intersection of language and abstraction. This print was made in honor of mothers and began with the word “mom” which is not only spelled the same backwards and forwards but has the word “wow” as its mirror image. McClelland is interested in games and the way they create a format to pass out items, exchange and trade them. The format of Mamamay i was inspired by the child’s game “Pin the Tail on the Donkey” but instead of a donkey, McClelland repeated the image of award ribbons which were arbitrarily laid out. The artist blind folded herself and laid them out randomly in emulation of the way “Pin the Tail on the Donkey” is played