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U.K. sculptor creates vagina-inspired art installation
By Libby RumeltMarch 15th, 2011, 1:00 pmComments (29)
Between pregnancy, pornography, labiaplasty, and the garden-variety insecurity that comes with the territory of being a woman in the Western world, ladies can get pretty worried about their vaginas. Colors, shapes, sizes — my goodness, there's just a myriad of reasons why one might think her "downthere" is abnormal looking. (Or refer to her vagina as her "downthere.") Luckily, a nice man in Britain has decided to make an art exhibit exposing the truth: all vaginas are different, and that difference is a beautiful thing.
"The Great Wall of Vagina" was started half a decade ago by artist Jamie McCartney and is now set for a world premiere at the Brighton Festival Fringe in May. The project consists of a nine-meter-long wall made up of 400 plaster vagina molds. The molds were graciously donated by as many women, whose ages ranged from eighteen to seventy-six. No word on how McCartney found these women, but his caring words might have something to do with their willingness to help out:
"I realized that many women also suffer anxiety about their genitals and I was in a unique position to do something about that... If this sculpture helps just one woman decide not to proceed with unnecessary plastic surgery on their genitals then it will have succeeded."
I like his style. Check out this videos for more vagina-positive messages from the ladies themselves:
Commentarium (29 Comments)
when i was young, thought my boobs & vulva were weird looking until i saw photo & drawing collections that were created to show the infinite variations. made me appreciate my assets.
from far away, this looks like abstract tiles. very pretty...
I don't know about "pretty" but it is interesting to look at.
Is it strange that I was trying to figure out which one resembles my vulva the most?
apparently not... i was thinking the same thing!
me too!
Me three... lol
same!
ditto!
OK, that dude makes a LOT of sense.
www.anon-tools.es.tc
It's vulva, not vagina.
Read my weird horror story "Unburnt Bush" on my Pazuzu Trilogy blog -
http://isylumn.wordpress.com/2011/02/27/the-unburnt-bush-by-matthew-sawyer/
i don't think i could make vagina molds all day. that guys a bad ass.
The sculpture had so much experience or watched porn too much. hahaha
http://ronaldredito.org/blog/
I LOVE this. And yes, vulva, not vagina.
Again, someone calling themselves an artist that just isn't. I am starting to get incredibly bored with this type of junk. This is D- art, if you want to call it art at all. Human based "art" has been driven into the ground by generations of people calling them selves artist. When is this going to stop getting so much coverage for having such a high yawn factor?
Art is subjective cas, there are no fine lines or distinct definitions of what is and is not art. Ok, YOU don't see it as art and I totally respect that, but don't reprimand others for finding this inspiring, identifying with it and subsequently calling it art.
Sarah, it is in general impossible to say that something "sucks" and not impugn another's judgement who does not find it to be sucktastic. But by my own subjective standard, this does, indeed, suck. Where is the skill in this? The technique? It's just a bunch of casts glommed together. Given enough molds of vaginae, what 10th grade burnout couldn't put this together?
If this makes some women feel better about themselves, that's awesome. But that doesn't mean it's good art. It's just bad art that made someone happy.
Delores! Ok that is one of the dumbest things I have ever seen. Sorry. That is not "art" to me.
Thank goodness others have already pointed out it's VULVA not vagina.
too late, that cultural ship has sailed. People call it all their vagina now.
So should they be called "The Vulva Monologues" and not "Vagina"?
This is a great idea. I would love to see this exhibt in person. It's funny actually as a friend of mine commented on reading my blog, http://mollysdailykiss.com/ "I am so glad you posted that pictures of your pussy, I always thought mine was odd looking but it looks kind of like yours" I laughed and said well I have found they come in all shapes and size, bit like people in general.
Mollyxxx
There's a documentary called The Perfect Vagina that has a segment with the artist and, a woman who wanted to undergo surgery before he took a cast of her bits. Looks like his wish was granted.
So sad that women are having their sensitive labia cut off to aspire to some stupid 'ideal'. Its INSANE. Its not art - it should be out there to help young women realise that variety is normal - they should do it with boobs too. I've never had 'perfect' boobs but its hard to remember that there is variety otu there when all you see on tv and the movies is silicone.
I am doing a painting of Varinas in Sydney to be displayed in a Gallery and I have been doing some reserach and I find your display fantastic, I have looked at it and think what a fantastic idea, I do not have any negative comments, I think it is great.
Good on you.
Hey, that post leaves me feleing foolish. Kudos to you!
Hey, that post leaves me feleing foolish. Kudos to you!
About time, what a great statement about one of natures brilliant creations.As Billy Connely says vagina sounds like a spanish holiday resort.Men and women should love themselves and each other.That is the spiritual sight, for me every vagina is beautiful.Our bodies are living sculptures.When we start to love our bodies stop judging some bits etc the garden of eden will be revisited. aka paradice.
We've come a long way from all those classical nude paintings and sculptures of women which clearly exhibit their breasts but depict the vulva as an undefined area, some as an undefined shading and some as merely nothing. (Memo: I must start an art site bringing these old paintings up-to-date as is done with some literature today.) I've often thought that the artists should have been more honest and either painted the pubic hair or drawn the vulva. A few artists have actually done this but not many.
Then we had a lot of TALK with "The Vagina Monologues". Now we get the "Vulva Sculptures". I'm just wondering: is there anywhere further to go from here?
One further thought: the shape of the vulva depends on the state of sexual arousal of the woman concerned but how could those women "donors" have stayed aroused when they were sitting in a large dollop of wet plaster?