A Mother’s Creative Legacy

Photographic prints were at the core of Martha Madigan's practice. The artist frequently captured the outlines of organic shapes and patterns on photosensitive paper, a medium that allowed her to effectively create photos without a camera. Milwaukee-born, she moved with her family to Pennsylvania in adulthood and taught at Temple University before beginning her long-running “Botanical Portraits” in 2007; the series took up a range of plant life as its subject matter. Her 2010 solar photogram Oahu Hanging Ginger, for instance, presents the silhouette of flowers from a ginger plant suspended in ethereal greyscale. The visual further epitomizes Madigan’s aesthetic: exploring natural cycles and forms with an eye for delicate compositions, achieved through technical finesse.

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“There was no difference between my mother and the artist," recalls Claire Khodara. “Mom was always immersed in her art.” It so happens that the fluidity between Madigan’s practice and her personal identity seamlessly extends to clothing designs, too. Timed to Women’s History Month, a new collaboration between Madigan’s estate and Lafayette 148’s Emily Smith pays homage to her legacy. In the four-piece capsule, Madigan’s branches of ginger florals unfold diagonally across a square, silk scarf; from hip to shoulder on an oversized silk blouse and a voile kaftan; and from right ankle to left thigh on a pair of flowing pants. Each motif is oriented as though reaching upwards, stretching toward sunlight.

What’s more, 20 percent of the proceeds will go toward the Martha Madigan Foundation, which supports arts education. Khodara reflects that her mom “championed all of us to be creative individuals, which has helped us blossom into the people we are today.” That fundamental drive translates to the feminist message behind the tie-in to Women’s History Month, too. “Mom was a powerhouse and the ultimate feminist,” Khodara says. “As her daughters, working was never an option, it was a must. We were always going to blossom into the creative working artists and entrepreneurs we are today, but truly thanks to her.”

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Martha Madigan x Lafatyette 148 is available online now.