This work was inspired by geologic formations while referencing images of myself and my daughter. The mother-and-child motif is emerging from, or perhaps being swallowed up by, these wave-like shapes, like a force coming from the outer world and impressing itself on the body. It meditates on a sense of loss and perseverance, while speaking to the pressures we place on the maternal body, in a similar way to those placed on mother earth. The title “Viability” insinuates the beginning stages of pregnancy, when an embryo’s viability dictates whether it continues to grow. It can also be interpreted in a broader sense: whether something is capable of surviving or living successfully, especially under particular environmental conditions.