Zoetrope Tropes was presented at the Emily Carr Grad show in July 2024. Zoetrope Tropes uses the optical toy, a device once used to teach children reasoning skills, to critique portrayals of mothers in popular cartoons. This installation asks, where do we get our ideas of motherhood from?
Once viewers figure out the zoetrope, they find recognizable characters performing domestic tasks repeatedly. The cartoon caregiver’s labour is activated through spinning the device. One could suggest that the person propelling the characters into action is implicated in perpetuating the stereotypes of motherhood they depict. Similarly, when we consume, we therefore support these popular shows with questionable portrayals of motherhood.
Scroll down to see what it looks like to spin the zoetropes.