Anastasia Sierra's photographic series, "The Witching Hour," offers a compelling exploration of the multifaceted experience of motherhood. Through a collection of cinematically rich images, Sierra delves into the intricate emotional terrain that emerges when caring for an aging parent and raising a young child simultaneously. This body of work, featuring her father and son, moves beyond a simple depiction of family life, instead creating a metaphorical space to process the joys, challenges, and profound transformations inherent in maternal roles. The series, which evolved from her earlier project "Bittersweet," uses a surrealist lens to examine the psychological weight of caregiving, the nuances of intimacy, and the constant negotiation of personal identity within the domestic sphere.
Sierra's artistic journey into this theme was a natural progression from her initial foray into photography, ignited by the acquisition of her first DSLR camera. The act of capturing moments through the lens became a powerful tool for her to engage with the world more deeply and to remain present amidst life's rapid pace. This early fascination with observing people and finding beauty in their gestures laid the groundwork for her personal work, which she found to be an effective means of processing the significant shifts that accompanied new motherhood. Unlike words, which often feel definitive, Sierra found that photography's ambiguity allowed for a multitude of interpretations, perfectly suited for articulating the mixed feelings inherent in her experiences.
The genesis of "The Witching Hour" can be traced back to "Bittersweet," a project conceived during Sierra's early days of motherhood. Facing isolation and the unexpected identity changes that parenthood brings, she turned to photography to reaffirm her creative self. "Bittersweet" captured the initial transformations, serving as a sanctuary to navigate the overwhelming yet beautiful chaos of having a newborn. As her personal circumstances evolved, with her aging father moving in, the project matured into "The Witching Hour." This new phase explores a more complex domestic reality, where cultural and generational gaps, exacerbated by language barriers, create both connection and distance within the shared household. The photographs became a silent language, enabling communication and understanding beyond spoken words, especially during a period marked by personal loss and geopolitical tensions that limited family visits.
Sierra's artistic process is deeply rooted in her internal world, drawing inspiration from dreams, memories, and unspoken feelings. She views her images as "psychological landscapes," a blend of the real and the imagined, where past and future coalesce. This approach allows her to convey the lingering emotions of powerful experiences rather than literally reconstruct specific events. The series intentionally embraces ambiguity, juxtaposing intimacy with distance, and playfulness with underlying anxieties. This atmospheric quality, infused with sharp shadows and vibrant colors, transforms everyday scenes into theatrical narratives, reflecting the photographer's desire to create an alternative world within her own life. The presence of both her father and son in her work highlights Sierra's dual role as both child and mother, blurring these boundaries and infusing the images with a unique perspective on family dynamics and intergenerational relationships.
Working so intimately with her family has presented few challenges, largely due to their eager participation. Sierra ensures a balance, engaging in intense bursts of photography followed by periods of rest, prioritizing their well-being over the continuous creation of images. For her, photography serves as a vital tool for confronting the complexities of motherhood. It elevates these personal experiences, traditionally underrepresented in the art world, to a realm of significance. The act of pointing her lens at what troubles her, rather than avoiding it, becomes a restorative process, offering a space for fears and nightmares to be safely expressed and defused, akin to a childhood belief that sharing bad dreams prevents them from materializing. The title itself, "The Witching Hour," evokes a liminal space where the veil between worlds is thin, mirroring the intense, often overwhelming feelings that persist after profound experiences, illustrating how deeply our fears are intertwined with what we value most.