abortion = art????

[Tourttes x-O]

I LOL'D

[KABOSH ace]

...Surrealism, perhaps? D:

[Blackhearted_Sean]

uh-huh... glad I read that News Buster article that was posted earlier... it actually calmed me down a bit, but that doesn't mean that what that girl should have lied like that. first of all, I couldn't give two shits for abortion... if someone wants to do it, fine by me. But to do something like that would be just plain idiotic, to lie about it is just just as wrong. Second, I don't like Perez Hilton... find him to be kinda psychotic and annoying... mostly annoying.

[Midori Kou]

As an art major, this is so not art. Sometimes, people just make crap up and use art as an excuse. (Like at my school, paintings done with turd and fountain sculptures designed to emit urine.) But in actuality, it's just stupid thinking. Yes, art can be grostique, but when it involves playing with life for kicks, that's just not cool.

[Coyote-Walker]

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That's amazingly interesting. I would love to see pictures of this exhibit.


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[Umbraven]

I don't necessarily disagree with what she did, it's more that I don't understand.
I don't know what her point is. What is she trying to tell us? I guess I just don't get it.
(BTW I'm Pro-Choice)

[unn like you]

Was it not later confirmed to be fake?

I'm going to go agaisnt what alot of people are saying here, and as an aspiring artist myself say that i think the content of such a project is incredibly artistic.

It brings up alot of questions about society and what we consider life to actually be, as well as expressing extreme anxieties about what feminity is.

If the exhibition had been real, i would have glady gone to it.

Art isn't necessarily something that you like, its an expression of the artist. The best art is controversial, not because it is visually graphic or gory, but more because it breaks the boundaries of what is socially acceptable and forces us to face an issue which can be both distressing and emancipating.

It's a brave project, and i have a huge amount of respect for her, regardless of whether she actually went through with the process she described or lied to stir up controversy on the subject.

[Coyote-Walker]

Unlike You

Was it not later confirmed to be fake?

I'm going to go agaisnt what alot of people are saying here, and as an aspiring artist myself say that i think the content of such a project is incredibly artistic.

It brings up alot of questions about society and what we consider life to actually be, as well as expressing extreme anxieties about what feminity is.

If the exhibition had been real, i would have glady gone to it.

Art isn't necessarily something that you like, its an expression of the artist. The best art is controversial, not because it is visually graphic or gory, but more because it breaks the boundaries of what is socially acceptable and forces us to face an issue which can be both distressing and emancipating.

It's a brave project, and i have a huge amount of respect for her, regardless of whether she actually went through with the process she described or lied to stir up controversy on the subject.

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Yes, it was fake. And I agree with you, Unlike You, about the artistic nature of the whole thing. I would've gone to that exhibit.

www.huffingtonpost.com

***UPDATE***
The New York Sun reports that Aliza Shvarts' artificial insemination and miscarriage art project is just "creative fiction." Yale University released a statement this afternoon:

"Ms. Shvarts is engaged in performance art," a Yale spokeswoman, Helaine Klasky, said. "She stated to three senior Yale University officials today, including two deans, that she did not impregnate herself and that she did not induce any miscarriages. The entire project is an art piece, a creative fiction designed to draw attention to the ambiguity surrounding form and function of a woman's body."

Ms. Klasky went on to suggest that Yale would not have permitted a project of the sort described in the student newspaper. "Had these acts been real, they would have violated basic ethical standards and raised serious mental and physical health concerns."

[CrazyJelloFreak]

hahahahahahahahahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhahahahahahahahahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhahahahahahahahahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhahahahahahahahahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhahahahahahahahahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhahahahahahahahahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhahahahahahahahahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhahahahahahahahahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhahahahahahahahahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhahahahahahahahahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhahahahahahahahahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhahahahahahahahahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhahahahahahahahahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhahahahahahahahahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[SullenDrummerSasora]

Ok listen to what I have to say....it is so mistaken how women make up their minds on certain subjects...yes im a woman but I could NEVER kill something that hasnt been brought into the world..i mean it was fate that you would have the baby in the first place..No i dont believe in god and yeah im bi..but every persons opinion counts in this...no one should be made to get an abortion if they dont want to..iam against it..

[Rhianna]

Unlike You

It brings up alot of questions about society and what we consider life to actually be, as well as expressing extreme anxieties about what feminity is.

I'd love for you to explain this to me in depth, because to me it reeks of the same bullshit where people said that the Blair Witch Movie would be an "in depth look at life and a quality piece about Hollywood's over-glamorized and overproduced movies." instead of what it was -- a C-pile piece of crap with bad acting and a rightfully low budget.

The exhibit, had it been real, only brings up questions about this woman's sanity and what possible laws she might have broken or how she should be punished for being so ridiculously stupid and selfish.

It's pretty much held, pro-choice or pro-life, that we understand what "life" is. How highly that life is held or definitions on "personhood" vary more but most people, even the hardcore prochoice understand that a fetus is technically "alive", for that matter, so is the bacteria in the snot you blow out during a cold, the ants you step on and the bacteria in the vaginal discharge in your panties.

Extreme anxieties about femininity? Hardly. Being a douche who abuses various systems is hardly raising issues about femininity, except giving many women a bad name.

[Travesty]

It takes more and more to be edgy every day. It used to be that putting a rotting animal under glass in a museum was edgy. Not anymore, apparently.

[CosmicDust]

I've never had the displeasure of reading a Perez columb before. He handles it so maturley. rolleyes

I think what shes done is interesting, though dangerous. To put yourself through something as traumatic as a miscarriage on purpose is horrible. Its also a bit of a sensitive thing with some people trying for years to get pregnant and not being able to do it, seeing someone coming along like that, not to mention the pro life pro choice religion whatever side of things.


I can't say I condone it but I do see life as art. Its created, we continue to mould and create and invent ourselves and so yes each human is walking art. I saw Dr Gunthers exhibits as art as well *shrug*

[KarmaKoma]

abortion is a sin, and i'm not a religios freak.
but when you kill that soul, where does it go?
abortion should be a last option.

[unn like you]

Rhianna

Unlike You

It brings up alot of questions about society and what we consider life to actually be, as well as expressing extreme anxieties about what feminity is.

I'd love for you to explain this to me in depth, because to me it reeks of the same bullshit where people said that the Blair Witch Movie would be an "in depth look at life and a quality piece about Hollywood's over-glamorized and overproduced movies." instead of what it was -- a C-pile piece of crap with bad acting and a rightfully low budget.

The exhibit, had it been real, only brings up questions about this woman's sanity and what possible laws she might have broken or how she should be punished for being so ridiculously stupid and selfish.

It's pretty much held, pro-choice or pro-life, that we understand what "life" is. How highly that life is held or definitions on "personhood" vary more but most people, even the hardcore prochoice understand that a fetus is technically "alive", for that matter, so is the bacteria in the snot you blow out during a cold, the ants you step on and the bacteria in the vaginal discharge in your panties.

Extreme anxieties about femininity? Hardly. Being a douche who abuses various systems is hardly raising issues about femininity, except giving many women a bad name.

In my opinion such work as was described by the intitial interview; her filming of her herbal abortions and miscarriages in the bath is deeply visual to what the physical body undergoes during such an ordeal and what the psyche expeirences as a result. It raises the question of whether it is abortion should be socially acceptable or not; at this moment in time although not everyone is pro-life it isn't something that when talked about necessarily shocks them; in a sense as humans we have become desensitised to what essentially is a form murder. This leads to my point about what is considered to be an individual or not. Theres been decades of controversy on exactly when an embyro, fetus or even a zygote can actually be considered to be a conscious human. The article itself, correct me if i'm mistaken, didn't actually state how long each pregnancy lasted and so even if we go along with what is scientifically considered an acceptable age for a human life to consciously form, which i believe is 24 weeks, then she may be questioning these boundaries as well. It's also interesting to note that a pregnancy is actually a parasite which is feeding from her body and could not survive without her, and that through these films she could be expressing the need to expel the foriegn object from her body. Which is something that when it concerns a usual parasite, for example a form of worm, we wouldn't think twice about removing. It brings the grotesque quality of being in a metaphorical sense eaten alive. Imagine the huge metre worms that can live inside the human digestive system; maybe she is comparing the imagery of having a pregnancy to that? In a metaphorical sense it could be compared to a tumour.
It brings up the issue of feminity as the body undergoes both hormonal and physical changes during pregnancy. The female is sensitive to the fact that there is something which is not essentially a part of her living in her body. The female is also sensitive to the fact that her sexual organs are changing; her womb is expanding and her breasts in later pregnancy will eventually swell. The very essence of her feminity and her self confidence as a woman comes from her physical appearence and the manner in which she perceives it. In a society where the pressure to lose weight is causing eating disorders to appear glamarous, how will the woman respond to her body shape changing? The hormones will make the woman emotionally vulnerable on what is already a sensitive topic. Although the pregnancy is technically a parasite, she expeirences motherly instincts towards it.

I've explained my view on the subject as best as i can this late at night. I can't comment on the blair witch project because i have not seen the film or heard the criticism.

I would argue that just because someone has an interest in the subject of abortion to the point where they are willing to experiment on it doesn't make them necessarily mentally ill. Alot of journalists are willing to perform extreme experiments in order to get their view on the subject across, for example british television journalist Dawn Porter spent several months on hollywood diets trying to reach size 0 so that she could convey the dangers of anorexia to her audience. Why should something slightly more macabre and equally as potientially dangerous not be considered the same? Unless you have a real passion and strong views for the subject the experiment is on, it is unlikely that you would be able to even sympathise with why someone would put both their psyche and body through something like that.

Has it ever occured to you that the reason the artist would choose to go through abortions and miscarriages is because they believe it is wrong and misused?

I've stated various reasons it does bring feminity into the picture before, and i'll state another one now. it could also be commenting on the traditional role of the female, which is to have a family.

You're looking at the project too literally and with a closed mind. Just because we have technical terms for what 'life' is, doesn't mean the subject isn't open for debate.

I'm not saying that you should like the artwork, just not to disregard it because you feel it was a stupid thing for the artist to do.