Rupturas do ideal materno na contemporaneidade: um olhar comparado sobre a narrativa literária de Camilla Canuto e a arte visual de Jade Nordahl

Abstract

The present study has as its main objective to compare two forms of art that address the theme of motherhood, observing how they communicate and discuss the notion of the maternal ideal in contemporary times. The first artistic expression of interest is the contemporary debut novel by the author from Sergipe, Camilla Canuto, Há uma lápide com seu nome, published in 2021. The second consists of the digital collection of the Norwegian illustrator Jade Nordahl, who publishes her works on her official account on the Instagram media platform, under the profile name @ab.bel. The beginning of the publications dates from the year 2015. Our investigations consist of identifying similarities and differences between the forms and contents presented by both artists. We also seek to elucidate the ideological assumptions that sustain both expressions and which androcentric and idealizing discourses about motherhood can be questioned through the interpretation of the two narrative forms. Our methodologies consist of interpreting both artistic works through the weaving of selected excerpts that can discuss underlying common points related to mothering, even if the perspectives take different directions. The analyses seek to promote this dialogue through the appropriation of theoretical contributions that help us understand the importance of art and its relationship with reality, such as the works of Barbosa (1998), Ingold (2020), Biesdorf and Wandscheer (2011), Samain (2012), Candido (2006), Culler (1999), Wielewicki and Zappone (2009), among others. For the analyses and discussions on gender, feminism, and motherhood, we draw on Cisne (2015), Butler (2011), Badinter (1985; 2011), Davis (2016), Souza (2019), Eliacheff and Heinich (2004), and O’Reilly (2016), among others. Our conclusions indicate that both forms of art offer critical perspectives on the maternal experience and contribute to a contemporary debate that helps to question stereotypes, by constructing maternities marked by ambivalence, touching on established patterns and highlighting the influence of sociocultural context and interpersonal relationships on mothering practices.