Quantifying Care

Quantifying Care examines the cycles of giving and receiving care through a matriarchal genealogy and plays within two of our cultures most highly valued realms: religion and capitalism. Unable to measure my productivity as a mother with accolades, pay raises or promotions, I recorded various acts of care for the 4th fiscal quarter of 2021, in effort to quantity output (every meal prepared, injury attended to, lost item found, and each time I took my son back to bed in the middle of the night). And while the priest carries out the sacraments with much pomp, circumstance and witness, the mother will practice baptism, reconciliation, eucharist and anointing of the sick on a daily basis, often behind closed doors. Does the value that we assign the work differ depending on who is providing or receiving the care? What are the variables that make one act holy and another simply the day’s duty? At which point does routine become ritual? At which point does our caring become sacred?

While often utilizing the experience and language of motherhood, this work is not exclusive to mothers. In 2024, the data collection was extended to include a network of paid and unpaid caregivers meeting physical, mental and emotional needs around the country. The particulars of these acts were then transferred onto methodically crafted ceramic pieces that echo the unceasing, often chaotic rhythms of care. At the intersection of function and beauty, a handcrafted clay cup can elevate one’s routine drinking experience. These monuments to care allow the viewer to bear witness to work that does the same: meets a need with great intentionality and careful awareness. I invite you to consider a society in which we view this labor with the reverence that it deserves.