Graphic Recording and Facilitation by MaryLaura Mau
Photographic portraits
Various series; 2005 - present
Travel Essay: Vietnam, 2008
Project documentation, various series featuring visual artists May Tveit, Eduardo Velazquez, Boaz Vaadia, 5pointz, Howl! Festival, Greenpoint Anti-Gentrification Project.
New York, NY 2009 - 2012
Cut paper collage, 2008 - present
Travel Series : Oaxaca, Mexico 2012 - 2013
Oaxaca de Juárez, Atoyac River bank, Santa María Atzompa, Santa María del Tule, Tlacolula.
Digital illustrations for print and screen.
Seether
MaryLaura Mau, 2022-2023
Documentary Photography
Seether, an introspective exploration by MaryLaura Mau, delves into relational trauma and its profound impact on the daily lives of her family of three. Through her lens, Mau captures the distortions, dissociation, and isolation that arise from generational trauma, neglect, and the unique neurodivergent perspective through which they navigate the world.
Mau's photographic journey sheds light on the overwhelming realities faced by autistic individuals upon entering motherhood, revealing the profound challenges of balancing societal expectations, traumatic events, and the constant struggle to mask neurodivergent traits. By sharing her experience as an autistic parent, Mau aims to raise awareness of the often-neglected needs of neurodivergent communities and the long-overlooked late-diagnosed adults.
The lens of autism has transformed Mau's life and artistic practice, as she strives to capture the intensity of divergent emotions and effectively communicate their inner lives. Through her evocative images, she seeks to convey the seething turmoil, the internal battle, and the relentless pursuit of resilience. Can she articulate the indescribable? Can her children break free from the interconnectedness of their shared history and minds that form a kaleidoscope of experiences? Will their world collapse inward or will they find solace in explosive serenity?
Mau's work challenges the prevailing artistic landscape by demanding authentic representation of autistic and neurodivergent imprints. No longer will the neurodivergent community accept artistic narratives devoid of their own perspectives. Seether serves as a visual testament, illustrating the arduous path to healing that awaits this trio on the verge of transformation.
cut paper collage
2009-2018
SHE is an exercise in recontextualization. Printed matter depicting nude women has traditionally come from a place of subjugation, debasement, shame, violence. By excising these women, a slicing act of violence on its own, they are freed. What is freedom defined in the needs and wants of women today? Our printed matter continues to dictate goals and ambitions while becoming increasingly accessible. Imagine where she may be in her most intimate moments, in the simple solitary gestures despite our interconnected and demanding world. SHE is a LoFi fantasy, from her possibilities to her mirage.
In this series, the use of ‘women’ and she as a pronoun is simply one train of thought in a galaxy of identity work. I only ask you to assume the persons pictured here identify as women. The exercise is in fantasy owned again. There is an important play in the shift of reality. Give the subject what they want. The impersonal and detached nature of a printed image allows for this narrative ambiguity. In practice, I chose to imbue fictitious identities on these models. In no way is a critique of patriarchal oppression limited to those born cis-gendered women.
Oakland County Fair. Davisburg, MI, July 12, 2024.
Documentary photography by MaryLaura Mau
B/W 35mm series
Brooklyn, New York
2012
Photographic series, Mexico 2012-13
Reanimation: Animalia, 2021
cut paper, 24”x36”
When I was a child, this was my favorite book. I’ve spent more time with this book than any other. My original 1986 edition of Graeme Base’s Animalia was loved hard by a hundred children at my mother’s in-home daycare. This book went to art school with me, inspired me, and kept me connected to my roots. I saved this book for a purpose and finally took the time to care for it in a way that saved my precious memories in time.
This piece is for my children. A reanimation of the love I have for Animalia on its 35th anniversary. Thank you, Mr. Base, for the years of inspiration.
Environmental Study : Detroit, MI
2009 - 2018
Personal family photo-essay; a year in quarantine.
Michigan, USA
2020-21
