The Role of Motherhood Symbols in the Conflict Imagery of Northern Ireland

Martin Forker

Martin Forker Shih Chien University

Abstract

Mirrored versions of motherhood symbolism used by Nationalist and Loyalist have served both to unite and divide Northern Ireland. This narrow range of Irish symbolic representations of motherhood may be due to patriarchal influences of Orangeism, the Protestant dependency on the written word (Loftus, 1982), the patriarchal nature of the Old Testament, and the development of Protestantismâ€™s aniconic culture (Brett, 1999). Such motherhood symbolization is a powerful social organizer. In this visual essay, I discuss my own artwork, which has been influenced by my exposure to Renaissance/Catholic/Nationalist motherhood imagery in my childhood, as a form of social production (Wolff, 1983) that both resides within and yet disrupts the Irish motherhood discourse.

Author Biography

Martin Forker, Shih Chien University

Martin Forker, Ph.D., is assistant professor in the Applied English Department at Shih Chien University Kaohsiung Campus in Taiwan. He was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and has taught art and art history in several schools in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. In 1990, he received a national art award for his artwork from the Royal Ulster Academy (Invitation Award). Additionally, his artwork has been documented in a significant Irish art history book (Catto, M., Art in Ulster 2, 1977) and also in Circa Art Journal in the early 1980s. He also has work in the permanent art collection of an Irish museum (Monaghan County Museum). His art reflects the harrowing nature of urban deprivation, homeless people, religious and political conflict and the suffering nature of the innocent victim in divided societies. His doctoral study entitled â€œA Diagnostic Profile of Art Understandings and Social Attributions Based on Written Responses to Conflict Imageryâ€ was related to the function of symbols in art education. In November 2005, he represented Shih Chien University, Taiwan, at the Peace as Global Language Conference in Sangyo University Kyoto Japan, where he presented an academic paper related to the role of symbols in divided societies. Correspondence regarding this article should be addressed to the author at martin@mail3.kh.usc.edu.tw.