Portrait of the Artist's Mother is a memoir and an examination of the
politics of disability. The author describes the pressure from medical
institutions to undergo screening during pregnancy and assumptions that
a child with Trisomy 21 should not live, even though people with Down
syndrome do live rich lives. Years later, Fiona's son, Fraser, has
become an artist. His prize-winning paintings have been exhibited in
galleries in Sydney and Canberra.
How does a mother get from the grieving silence of the birthing room
through the horrified comments of other mothers to the applause at
gallery openings? This is a story of commitment to the idea that all
people, including those who are 'less than perfect, ' have a right to be
welcomed into this increasingly imperfect world.