{"id":2006754,"date":"2026-06-23T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2006754"},"modified":"2026-06-23T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T21:00:00","slug":"lenka-clayton-reflects-on-motherhood-and-finding-connection-in-everyday-objects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2006754","title":{"rendered":"Lenka Clayton Reflects on Motherhood and Finding Connection in Everyday Objects"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content prose-colossal max-w-none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1415\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/clayton-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"a still of a typewriter creating a vase\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">All images courtesy of Art21<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0bc941e6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h1 class=\"alignfull wp-block-post-title\">Lenka Clayton Reflects on Motherhood and Finding Connection in Everyday Objects<\/h1>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-meta is-layout-flex wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-06-23T11:32:55-05:00\">June 23, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a class=\"category-art\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/art\/\" rel=\"tag\">Art<\/a><a class=\"category-film\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/film\/\" rel=\"tag\">Film<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/gebert\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Grace Ebert<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-share-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing has-visible-labels has-icon-color is-style-logos-only is-layout-flex wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-is-layout-flex\">\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-facebook has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F06%2Flenka-clayton-art-21-film%2F&amp;title=Lenka%20Clayton%20Reflects%20on%20Motherhood%20and%20Finding%20Connection%20in%20Everyday%20Objects\" aria-label=\"Share\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tShare\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-mail has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#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\" aria-label=\"Email\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tEmail\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><button class=\"simplefavorite-button preset\" data-postid=\"475217\" data-siteid=\"1\" data-groupid=\"1\" data-favoritecount=\"0\"><i class=\"sf-icon-bookmark\"><\/i>Bookmark<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>To open a new film from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/tags\/art21\/\">Art21<\/a>, artist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lenkaclayton.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Lenka Clayton<\/a> encapsulates her way of thinking and making: \u201cLooking at things that are supposed to behave a certain way and purposefully misunderstanding how they should be used, it\u2019s really important to me,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>The Cornwall-born artist works across media, creating both <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2021\/05\/cross-a-bridge-lenka-clayton\/\">meditative animations<\/a> via typewriter and immersive installations of gathered artifacts. Collecting is central to Clayton\u2019s practice both materially and conceptually, and she often works from her own experiences, particularly those around becoming a parent and her life in Pittsburgh (she even started <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artistresidencyinmotherhood.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">an open-source residency<\/a> program for artist mothers).<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=olyBoqfEPGY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the short documentary<\/a>, we see Clayton\u2019s culinary installation of colorful tongs hung in a grid on her studio wall alongside a project completed when her son was a baby. Each time she retrieved a spool of thread, button, acorn, bottle cap, or myriad other object from her child\u2019s mouth, she documented the tiny finding and created an enormous, photographic grid that speaks to the care required to protect young life.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is only connection in life,\u201d she says, \u201cand my work is just looking at those connections, so that we can create a shared experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This segment is part of Art21\u2019s <em>Human Nature<\/em> episode, alongside Colombian artist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2026\/06\/delcy-morelos-earth-works-art21-film\/\">Delcy Morelos<\/a>, and both are available for viewing on <a href=\"https:\/\/art21.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Art21\u2019s website<\/a>. Find more from Clayton on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/lenkaclaytonstudio\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/clayton-2.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475217\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1965\" height=\"1491\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/clayton-2.jpg\" alt=\"a grid of small objects like spools of thread, acorns, and cigarette butts\" class=\"wp-image-475274\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/clayton-3.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475217\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1135\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/clayton-3.jpg\" alt=\"a woman with her back to the viewer looking at an installation of tongs\" class=\"wp-image-475275\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"after-entry\" role=\"complementary\" aria-label=\"After Entry\">\n<section id=\"block-16\" class=\"widget widget_block widget_text\">\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:#88caf0\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>Do stories and artists like this matter to you?<\/strong><\/mark> Become a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"118516\">Colossal Member<\/a> now, and support independent arts publishing.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"block-17\" class=\"widget widget_block\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top member-benefits is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hide 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href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2026\/06\/cirk-book-miniature-paper-circus-arenas-architecture\/\" rel=\"prev\">Next article<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/nav><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>All images courtesy of Art21 Lenka Clayton Reflects on Motherhood and Finding Connection in Everyday Objects June 23, 2026 ArtFilm Grace Ebert Share Email Bookmark To open a new film from Art21, artist Lenka Clayton encapsulates her way of thinking and making: \u201cLooking at things that are supposed to behave a certain way and purposefully 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