Olivia Dreisinger
In Weaning, Olivia Dreisinger offers an intimate exploration of the complexities of early motherhood, merging technology and a traditional aesthetic to challenge perceptions of motherhood as a “low-brow” subject in contemporary art. Dreisinger utilizes a photogrammetric technique to produce a three-dimensional, distorted, painterly quality to her images, featuring scenes of milk, diapers, and breastfeeding-approved medication.These images document her personal experience nursing her infant daughter while navigating a postpartum mood disorder triggered by sudden, partial weaning, intervening in the larger history of breastfeeding art while foregrounding something not typically considered in mainstream discussions about breastfeeding, namely the psychological toll of breastfeeding. Dreisinger’s status as a disabled new mother in part selects the process and aesthetic of her work; photogrammetry enables her to document the dynamic nature and complexity of breastfeeding and postpartum life.
Olivia Dreisinger (b. 1991, Ladner, BC) is a disabled writer, scholar, filmmaker, and PhD candidate at the University of British Columbia. Her own fluctuating abilities dictate how she produces work—a process that regularly leads her to new and generative mediums to explore. Her work often takes a documentary approach. Her current (lifelong) creative project is being a mother.
PAiR Mentor:
Tristan Douglas is a Canadian electronic music producer and holds a PhD in remote sensing.
PAiR Mentor:
Tristan Douglas is a Canadian electronic music producer and holds a PhD in remote sensing.
Photo Captions:
Self-Portrait/Nursing in Bed
ID: Olivia and her baby nurse in a side-lying position on a bare mattress on the bedroom floor. She cradles her nursing baby close to her chest. Olivia is white and has short brown hair with bangs. She wears a burgundy top and ripped light blue jeans. The baby, dressed in a green and red outfit, nestles against her body in a moment of quiet tenderness. The room is sparse, with wooden flooring and soft, natural lighting that gives the scene an intimate, vulnerable feel.
Self-Portrait/Public Nursing Room
ID: In a sterile, brightly lit room, Olivia sits on a grey bench nursing her baby. Her posture is curled inward as she looks down at the child. Behind her lies a pile of jackets and a black diaper bag, a small refuge in a cold, impersonal space.
Wet Diaper
ID: A wet diaper sits open on the hardwood floor. A blue indicator line runs down the centre of the diaper. The diaper has an outline of Winnie the Pooh's face, smiling and winking, and cartoon pastel-coloured stars.
Milk Letdown
ID: This is a close-up image of Olivia’s torso. She’s wearing a light yellow bra that squeezes her breasts. Milk stains the bra.
Nursing/Mother’s View
ID: A baby nurses and looks up at her mother. Her head is cradled in her mother’s right arm. The image captures an intimate moment from a mother's perspective. There is a softness to the photo, with blended colors and gentle shading creating a calm, tender mood. Some distortion adds an almost dreamlike quality.
Self-Portrait/Perinatal Psych Meds
ID: Olivia stands in a bathroom, holding up pill containers in each hand. Bright, yellow pills fill the containers. She’s wearing a black graphic t-shirt and dark green striped underwear. A thin red c-section scar runs just above her underwear. She’s looking at the camera with a neutral expression, taking a casual selfie. She is white and has short brown hair with bangs. The bathroom has checkered grey tiled floors and a window with white curtains. Like the others, the image appears distorted or digitally altered, giving it a painterly, impressionistic feel.
Manual Breast Pump with Milk
ID: An open refrigerator displays a cluttered arrangement of food. A manual breast pump with a small amount of pumped milk is placed prominently among the items. The shelves are crowded but practical—lemons in a mesh bag, cartons of eggs, cheese, yogurt, veggie sausages, and several reusable containers. The presence of the pump and milk highlights the multitasking demands of parenthood amid everyday domestic life.
Sleep Aids
A night stand with several pill bottles, a transparent blue pill cutter, and two natural supplements bottles.
Self-Portrait/Nursing on Floor
ID: Olivia is sitting on a dark blue mat placed over a cheetah-print rug. She’s holding her baby, dressed in a patterned yellow and white outfit, feeding and comforting them. A small brown rabbit stuffie is lying nearby on the mat. The overall scene has a cozy, intimate indoor vibe, though the image appears distorted, giving it an almost painterly or abstract look.
Self-Portrait/Nursing in Bed
ID: Olivia and her baby nurse in a side-lying position on a bare mattress on the bedroom floor. She cradles her nursing baby close to her chest. Olivia is white and has short brown hair with bangs. She wears a burgundy top and ripped light blue jeans. The baby, dressed in a green and red outfit, nestles against her body in a moment of quiet tenderness. The room is sparse, with wooden flooring and soft, natural lighting that gives the scene an intimate, vulnerable feel.
Self-Portrait/Public Nursing Room
ID: In a sterile, brightly lit room, Olivia sits on a grey bench nursing her baby. Her posture is curled inward as she looks down at the child. Behind her lies a pile of jackets and a black diaper bag, a small refuge in a cold, impersonal space.
Wet Diaper
ID: A wet diaper sits open on the hardwood floor. A blue indicator line runs down the centre of the diaper. The diaper has an outline of Winnie the Pooh's face, smiling and winking, and cartoon pastel-coloured stars.
Milk Letdown
ID: This is a close-up image of Olivia’s torso. She’s wearing a light yellow bra that squeezes her breasts. Milk stains the bra.
Nursing/Mother’s View
ID: A baby nurses and looks up at her mother. Her head is cradled in her mother’s right arm. The image captures an intimate moment from a mother's perspective. There is a softness to the photo, with blended colors and gentle shading creating a calm, tender mood. Some distortion adds an almost dreamlike quality.
Self-Portrait/Perinatal Psych Meds
ID: Olivia stands in a bathroom, holding up pill containers in each hand. Bright, yellow pills fill the containers. She’s wearing a black graphic t-shirt and dark green striped underwear. A thin red c-section scar runs just above her underwear. She’s looking at the camera with a neutral expression, taking a casual selfie. She is white and has short brown hair with bangs. The bathroom has checkered grey tiled floors and a window with white curtains. Like the others, the image appears distorted or digitally altered, giving it a painterly, impressionistic feel.
Manual Breast Pump with Milk
ID: An open refrigerator displays a cluttered arrangement of food. A manual breast pump with a small amount of pumped milk is placed prominently among the items. The shelves are crowded but practical—lemons in a mesh bag, cartons of eggs, cheese, yogurt, veggie sausages, and several reusable containers. The presence of the pump and milk highlights the multitasking demands of parenthood amid everyday domestic life.
Sleep Aids
A night stand with several pill bottles, a transparent blue pill cutter, and two natural supplements bottles.
Self-Portrait/Nursing on Floor
ID: Olivia is sitting on a dark blue mat placed over a cheetah-print rug. She’s holding her baby, dressed in a patterned yellow and white outfit, feeding and comforting them. A small brown rabbit stuffie is lying nearby on the mat. The overall scene has a cozy, intimate indoor vibe, though the image appears distorted, giving it an almost painterly or abstract look.