Mother (Penguin Studio Books) (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Karin Winegar (Introduction)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

If Diane Arbus and her mother had shared a similarly warped vision and sense of humor, they might have turned out Mother, a lush, splashy, totally twisted photo album. Photographer Judy Olausen and her 74-year-old mother Vivian--a model with tightly permed blond hair, soft, wrinkled grandmotherly skin, and an extraordinarily expressive face--skewer the clichés of 1950s motherhood and martyrdom. In one shot, Vivian appears as a slightly deranged Betty Crocker, frosting a heart-shaped cake with Valium icing. In another, she's in chains hunched over an ironing board. As the archetypal "Mother Under Pressure," she sports cat glasses, white gloves, and a prim purse while dragging a huge bolder upstairs on her back. In "Shocked by Spock," reading that venerable pediatric bible causes alarm and a near-faint. The collection delivers a wallop of edgy humor and social commentary about women being silenced or squelched in their daily lives and dreams.

Product Description

In a series of zany portrait photographs of her mother using 1950s-inspired props, a critically acclaimed photographer offers a series of offbeat, tongue-in-cheek images--including ""Mother as Coffee Table"" and ""Mother as Door Mat""--that celebrate the ideal of motherhood. 60,000 first printing. Tour.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Studio (May 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670868671
• ISBN-13: 978-0670868674
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 9.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #346,674 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars MY FRIENDS & I LAUGHED OUR -SSES OFF!, September 11, 1999

By A Customer

While on vacation in Provincetown, Mass., my friends and I laughed our asses off as we stumbled upon this satirically funny photojournal.You must have a mother who is/was a housewife/part-time worker/doormat to truly appreciate this book. The fact that her real mother is the model for all of the shots exemplifies and perpetuates the hysterical and lovable, unappreciated role (but in hindsight; truly appreciated) of the housewife/mother of the 50's and trickled into decades to follow.Thankyou to Judy and Vivian and all others involved, for your talent, insight and sharing of one of life's focalpoints, HUMOR...it makes everything make sense!Dominic ChiangoPhiladelphia, Pa.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic. Funny. Much better if you read the Intro., January 10, 1999

By A Customer

I LOVED this book from start to finish. I use it in some of my psychology courses (gender roles, etc.). The pictures are more than interesting and funny. The introduction really helps you to get a lot more out of the book. I envy the relationship Judy and Vivian Olausen have created with each other! I'd love to photograph my mother strapped to the top of a car with antlers!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absoluteley the funniest book to give a your mother, December 10, 1998

By A Customer

Any mother with a great sense of humor would enjoy this book