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Ceramic, Copper wire
24”w • 28”h • 6”d | 20 lbs | 2024
The blood droplets falling from the arms, chest, legs,
& vulva symbolizes the abundance of blood that flows
from our bodies during our cycle. The drop placement
is a tool to demonstrate how it feels to be bleeding --
that it is a full-bodied experience. The goddess herself
is beautiful, assured, strong. All intentional choices to
artistically contribute towards the cultural shift of
honoring menstruation versus cursing it.
The blood represents a physical shedding, the
shedding of the uterine lining. In Chinese
medicine, it also represents a psychological
shedding– a spiritual shedding. Your bleed
time was the time to ask: What behaviors do I
want to let go of? What thoughts towards
myself no longer serve me? And once you
dropped your last drop and are as empty as a
new moon, you ask yourself: What are my new
values? And how can I embody them? Use this
built in process to support your inner growth.
Photographed by Zea Haley | 2024
Wood panel, Ceramic, Copper wire, Charcoal pigment, Soil, Obsidian
31”w • 72”h • 1.5”d | 20lbs | 2024
Did you know your menstrual
cycle refers to not only the time
of bleeding, but for other phases
menstruators experience each month:
follicular, ovulation, luteal, bleed time.
Likewise, the moon has 4 primary
phases and the seasons change 4 times
too. Not only does menstruation, the
moon and the seasons all have four
phases, but their phases match
together. Let us use the collage on the
left & the drawing to the right to learn
how our cycles correlate to nature's
rhythms.
Photographed by Zea Haley | 2024
Gaze upon the image and find a woman honoring
her cycle under the moon light and fire light.
She wears red, and adorns herself with blood
droplets that flow from her body and onto the
earth. Offering one with an extended arm to the
flame.
Ceramic, Fountain equipment
13”w • 16”h • 13”d | 40lbs | 2024
800 million uteruses are menstruating together at any
given moment. There is a current of violent free blood
flowing from wombs continually. This sculptural form
visualizes this fact. A fantastically large and strong
vulvular shape that is bleeding from different folds—
she is not just one vulva but the communal current.
The ocean, not the singular stream.
Will be a working fountain with red water pouring from
different levels.
Ceramic, Fountain equipment
13”w • 21”h • 14”d | 40lbs | 2024
The menstruators stand upon the peak in dignity.
As they bleed onto the mountain, they nourish the
soil–fertilizing it with divine energy. This is a real ritual
practice goddess~worshiping societies did in the past.
Of bleeding onto the earth as a way to give back to her
and connect with her virtuous power. Next time you
bleed, try sitting on grass for a while (like some Native
American tribes do) or try collecting your blood and
burying it in soil. See what these experiences may reveal
in you.
Will be a working fountain with red water pouring from
the vulvas of the feminine beings atop.
May these artworks navigate you back into the womb of the ancient mother. Your Womb Blood is Sacred brings to
life again a time when our bleed cycle was synonymous with reverence.
Contemporary societies worldwide neglect menstruation as a pillar of the human experience. In the past, bleed
time ceremonies were the foundation of ritual life in cultures with female and earth centered spiritualities. They
recognized the throughline between menstruation, femininity and nature. And saw the bleeding cycle as a
monthly event that connected wombs to the wisdom of the earth and cosmos. For 30,000 years prehistoric peoples
worshiped goddesses. They practiced peace instead of war. They recognized nature as a mother we must nurture
in order to thrive. They treasured the womb and yoni as the portal into this life. They saw menstrual blood as
sacred, possessing mana (magical powers) that could heal sickness, fertilize the land, and give one wisdom.
Painting this sacred blood on their faces, and celebrating a young girl’s first bleed with ceremony–high regard
towards the feminine and menstruation was normal then. Around 4,000 years ago, a destructive mindset began
polluting the globe–ridden with ego, patriarchy has forced us to forget the harmonious way of life we once knew.
Contaminating our relationship to divine femininity and divine masculinity. As we move towards a global culture that honors both the feminine and masculine natures in us all, let us pay special attention to cleansing the fervent stigmatization placed on one of the most consistent and intimate parts of feminine reality–our bleed time.
My artwork is an offering to heal this societal wound: visually, physically, psychologically. Visually through beautifying blood as a tool to transform taboo into respect and admiration. The glimmering nature of the red glaze on clay endows a precious nature to the blood. This visual tool reminds us this blood is special and empowered. Physically through the soothing water pouring from the fountains, imbuing the space and its bodies with serene sounds and sensations. The running water: an offering to associate calmness, slowness, and peacefulness with menstruation. Psychologically through paintings with imagery and language that teaches: like the moon cycles and the seasons, menstruation has four phases. New Moon: bleed time–winter–death. Waxing quarter: follicular–spring–rebirth. Full Moon: ovulation–summer–life. Waning Quarter: luteal–autumn–transmutation … Demonstrating the profound connection bleed time has to foundational cycles of existence. Your period is a ritual: “the word ritual comes from rtü, Sanskrit for menses. Menses, literally month, [in] Latin”.
The Menstruating Goddess figure is a crucial contribution to the art canon. There are no goddesses, old and new, that are widely known to reprepresent menstruation. May this goddess serve a role in shifting associations of weakness, irrationality and repellance to the menstruating image into associations of strength, wisdom and beauty. Using the visual language of art to communicate the message of menstrual reverence is new. Most commonly, the consciousness raising efforts have been accomplished through literature or oral tradition. This series provides the community with an immersive opportunity to contemplate their relationship to menstruation. And will likely spark crucial dialogue between family, friends, partnerships that will help lift bleed time from taboo into a knowledge of its cleansing and revitalizing nature.
People of all ages, those who have yet to bleed, those who are, those who have stopped, can benefit from respecting their cycle. How we view our cycle reflects how we view ourselves. How we view ourselves reflects how we view the world. Will you choose to see life as a blessing or a curse? We must not forget, 800 million wombs are bleeding at any given moment–connecting to the same consciousness. The intimate and singular bodily experience of our period is simultaneously in tune with millions across gender, race, ethnicity, income, age, perspectives. Menstruation is a unifying force.
(Primarily referencing “Honoring Menstruation” by Lara Owen & “The Once and Future Goddess” by Elinor Gadon)