Ejection Reflex, Ink on drafting film, 48 x 65 in
Copyright 2024, Alexandra Carter. All Rights Reserved

In celebration of Visualizing Birth’s 15th anniversary, we are excited to present the wonderful matricentric work of San Diego-based artist, Alexandra Carter. Using vibrant colors and amorphous shapes, Carter has created an impressive and prolific collection of works through which she represents both the images and the sensations of pregnancy, fecundity, maternity, and birth. 

Today, we feature Carter’s Ejection Reflex, a glorious painting inspired by the labor and birth of Carter’s second child. The work includes life-size figures created through the artist’s use of translucent drafting film with acrylic ink. In our correspondences, Carter has explained the importance of utilizing this medium, “while the material has a light, frosted, airy quality, the subject matter and execution are heavy and explosive with liquid energy.” The artist’s technique results in an image that is both graceful and empowering.

Carter furthermore gives an explanation of the subject matter and history of the painting:

This painting reflects on the birth of my second child—an unexpected and intense home birth. We had planned to go to the hospital, and I believed there was still plenty of time, but then I began experiencing the fetal ejection reflex: a powerful, involuntary series of contractions that pushed the baby out without any conscious effort on my part. It was as if my body took over completely—an awe-inspiring force that I could only surrender to.

The bird in the piece represents that primal, internal power—the sheer velocity and mystery of what was happening inside me. At the same time, I want to leave room for multiple interpretations. The bird’s beak, for instance, resembles forceps, evoking a very different kind of birth—one shaped by medical intervention. To me, this image can hold space for a range of birthing experiences, all of them powerful in their own right.

This is a powerful painting for others to use in the visualization of birth. As they approach labor and birth, pregnant women can imagine themselves as the birthing woman depicted. In it, we see a figure with a meditative face, eyes closed and relaxed as she releases her child into the world. The elegant bird aids in the birthing process, lifting the child gently upward and along to help the woman as she delivers her baby. For those to whom this image speaks, close eyes and imagine a bird or other gentle being at your side, helping to lift your baby and bring your infant forth from your womb.

To view more of Alexandra Carter’s works or to contact her, see her website and contact page. Find her on Instagram @alexandracarterstudio.