Abortion... art?!

[CaptainChewbacca]

No words for how horrifying this is to me

Martine Powers

Staff Reporter
Published Thursday, April 17, 2008

Art major Aliza Shvarts '08 wants to make a statement.

Beginning next Tuesday, Shvarts will be displaying her senior art project, a documentation of a nine-month process during which she artificially inseminated herself "as often as possible" while periodically taking abortifacient drugs to induce miscarriages. Her exhibition will feature video recordings of these forced miscarriages as well as preserved collections of the blood from the process.

The goal in creating the art exhibition, Shvarts said, was to spark conversation and debate on the relationship between art and the human body. But her project has already provoked more than just debate, inciting, for instance, outcry at a forum for fellow senior art majors held last week. And when told about Shvarts' project, students on both ends of the abortion debate have expressed shock . saying the project does everything from violate moral code to trivialize abortion.

But Shvarts insists her concept was not designed for "shock value."
"I hope it inspires some sort of discourse," Shvarts said. "Sure, some people will be upset with the message and will not agree with it, but it's not the intention of the piece to scandalize anyone."

The "fabricators," or donors, of the sperm were not paid for their services, but Shvarts required them to periodically take tests for sexually transmitted diseases. She said she was not concerned about any medical effects the forced miscarriages may have had on her body. The abortifacient drugs she took were legal and herbal, she said, and she did not feel the need to consult a doctor about her repeated miscarriages.
Shvarts declined to specify the number of sperm donors she used, as well as the number of times she inseminated herself.

Art major Juan Castillo '08 said that although he was intrigued by the creativity and beauty of her senior project, not everyone was as thrilled as he was by the concept and the means by which she attained the result.

"I really loved the idea of this project, but a lot other people didn't," Castillo said. "I think that most people were very resistant to thinking about what the project was really about. [The senior-art-project forum] stopped being a conversation on the work itself."

Although Shvarts said she does not remember the class being quite as hostile as Castillo described, she said she believes it is the nature of her piece to "provoke inquiry."

"I believe strongly that art should be a medium for politics and ideologies, not just a commodity," Shvarts said. "I think that I'm creating a project that lives up to the standard of what art is supposed to be."

The display of Schvarts' project will feature a large cube suspended from the ceiling of a room in the gallery of Green Hall. Schvarts will wrap hundreds of feet of plastic sheeting around this cube; lined between layers of the sheeting will be the blood from Schvarts' self-induced miscarriages mixed with Vaseline in order to prevent the blood from drying and to extend the blood throughout the plastic sheeting.

Schvarts will then project recorded videos onto the four sides of the cube. These videos, captured on a VHS camcorder, will show her experiencing miscarriages in her bathrooom tub, she said. Similar videos will be projected onto the walls of the room.

School of Art lecturer Pia Lindman, Schvarts' senior-project advisor, could not be reached for comment Wednesday night.

Few people outside of Yale's undergraduate art department have heard about Shvarts' exhibition. Members of two campus abortion-activist groups . Choose Life at Yale, a pro-life group, and the Reproductive Rights Action League of Yale, a pro-choice group . said they were not previously aware of Schvarts' project.

Alice Buttrick '10, an officer of RALY, said the group was in no way involved with the art exhibition and had no official opinion on the matter.

Sara Rahman '09 said, in her opinion, Shvarts is abusing her constitutional right to do what she chooses with her body.

"[Shvarts' exhibit] turns what is a serious decision for women into an absurdism," Rahman said. "It discounts the gravity of the situation that is abortion."

CLAY member Jonathan Serrato '09 said he does not think CLAY has an official response to Schvarts' exhibition. But personally, Serrato said he found the concept of the senior art project "surprising" and unethical.

"I feel that she's manipulating life for the benefit of her art, and I definitely don't support it," Serrato said. "I think it's morally wrong."

Shvarts emphasized that she is not ashamed of her exhibition, and she has become increasingly comfortable discussing her miscarriage experiences with her peers.

"It was a private and personal endeavor, but also a transparent one for the most part," Shvarts said. "This isn't something I've been hiding."

The official reception for the Undergraduate Senior Art Show will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on April 25. The exhibition will be on public display from April 22 to May 1. The art exhibition is set to premiere alongside the projects of other art seniors this Tuesday, April 22 at the gallery of Holcombe T. Green Jr. Hall on Chapel Street.

I'm not sure what to feel. Is she trivializing the seriousness of abortion? Mocking life? Celebrating murder?

Can we at least agree that covering something in the blood of the unborn and videotaping it isn't art, and that this woman is deeply disturbed?

[Isolder74]

That just send shivers up my spine. Miscarriages are never easy or painless.....She is guilty of torturing herself with much concerted effort. Not to mention all the health issues this would possibly cause her.

Just plain Bizzare.

[Darth Onasi]

Just when I think I've seen the lowest a human can go, something like this turns up.

[Shinova]

She says it's not for shock value. Uh huh.


I despise artists who profit off of making art that's little more than political statements wrapped in a medium.


In this case though, I just think it's in extreme bad taste. And corrupting what could be called the spirit of art, in my opinion.

[Shinova]

And this sort of counts as a kind of murder does it not? I don't know at what point during each pregnancy she aborted, but it still gives off a slightly mass-murder type of feel.

[Redleader34]

And this is how to set back the pro choice movement 100 or so years. Nice Job! Great Work! This has got to be a bad internet joke, I mean, this is the short of shit I expect from the UFP, or some sick usenet post.

Its real... . I thought the Art of a dead dog was bad, but fuck, this just takes the cake.

[Edi]

And this sort of counts as a kind of murder does it not? I don't know at what point during each pregnancy she aborted, but it still gives off a slightly mass-murder type of feel.

Your subjective feelings are worth exactly shit.

While most people find this distasteful, she broke no laws. Her body, she can do as she wishes in this regard, but she's a stupid idiot for putting through that kind of abuse. Miscarriages are a serious business and it can't be healthy for her body to suffer that many in such a short time.

I find the proposed form of her "art" distasteful myself, but I have no need to see it and all I can do is marvel at the stupidity here.

The anti-abortion crowd will of course hold this up as the work of the devil and a reason why women should not have any say in what they do with their bodies because they will strawman the fuck out of this incident. And the more responsible pro-choice crowd will have to deal with the fallout, so in that respect this art experiment is the height of social irresponsibility. Wouldn't be such here in Europe, but in the US? That woman is a fucking loon and an asshole when viewed from this perspective.

[Kanastrous]

Perhaps residual effects from the multiple induced miscarriages will in the end shave a few years off her life expectancy, and therefore her working career (or maybe more than a few).

Gotta look for the up-side.

[Illuminatus Primus]

She aborted the embryos at an very early stage of pregnancy. Abortion is not serious at that stage, Chewie. While odd artsy fartsy shit, I don't see the big deal.

Of course, this kind of one-off, occasional absurdities are fodder for the Republitard masses' delusional crusade against the "cultural left." I oppose these things only insofar that they aid in stupid distractions by O'Liely and company from important issues.

[Anguirus]

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? I mean, geez, that's got to hurt.

[Darth Wong]

Just when I think I've seen the lowest a human can go, something like this turns up.

Serial killers and warmongers strike you as being somehow less contemptible than this? Are you brain-damaged?

I'm not going to praise this "artist"; despite her protestations, this clearly was done for shock value, because she's an attention whore and she probably has serious emotional problems. However, grossly exaggerating the magnitude of what she's done is utterly pointless.

[Cairber]

It is probably mostly all menstrual blood. I highly doubt she was able to achieve pregnancy for 9 months and abort (word is she used "herbs" though I am not sure where people are getting that info; it was posted on another board) each of those pregnancies without any retention, anemia or other issues. Many women take weeks to completely pass all the tissues from an early miscarriage.

[Darth Onasi]

Just when I think I've seen the lowest a human can go, something like this turns up.

Serial killers and warmongers strike you as being somehow less contemptible than this? Are you brain-damaged?

I'm not going to praise this "artist"; despite her protestations, this clearly was done for shock value, because she's an attention whore and she probably has serious emotional problems. However, grossly exaggerating the magnitude of what she's done is utterly pointless.

Not at all, I mean low in the sense of deep personal stupidity.
Murder and war are on another level altogether.

[Kanastrous]

One of my professors in college once described the artists' urge to create as being rooted in the infantile desire to smear one's excrement on the walls, for everyone to see and approve of.

I don't particularly agree with the description, but this is the most literal example I think I have seen, of what he was talking about.

[CaptainChewbacca]

One of my professors in college once described the artists' urge to create as being rooted in the infantile desire to smear one's excrement on the walls, for everyone to see and approve of.

I don't particularly agree with the description, but this is the most literal example I think I have seen, of what he was talking about.

I'm pretty sure there's already been actual excrement-to-wall art done.

[Kanastrous]

Seems inevitable.

Probably done under a taxpayer-funded grant.

[Melchior]

I'm pretty sure there's already been actual excrement-to-wall art done.

Already done and already satirized decades ago.

[Solauren]

You know what? At first, this outraged me, then, after few calm moments of reflection...

Odds are, this "artist" (who, if doing crap like this is nothing of the sort), is meerly seeking attention, and decided that faking something like this, which would be far, far easier, would be a good way to get some attention and money.

It's unfortunate there's actually a medium for this kind of crap that's beyond Blogs and You-tube however.

Sad, Sad, Sad.

And if she did do it go real (not willing to name partners involved smells like bullshit to me), realistically, considering the self-abuse she just per herself through, maybe a good psychologist should have a word with her.

Preferably one that's a classical art fan, or not a fan of 'modern art'.

[Rye]

Meh, doesn't bother me at all, it's sort of gross, but not morally worse than eating meat. If I were in her position, I'd do that and then fry the miscarried mess and eat it, "scandalise" it that way.

[CaptainChewbacca]

You know what? At first, this outraged me, then, after few calm moments of reflection...

Odds are, this "artist" (who, if doing crap like this is nothing of the sort), is meerly seeking attention, and decided that faking something like this, which would be far, far easier, would be a good way to get some attention and money.

It's unfortunate there's actually a medium for this kind of crap that's beyond Blogs and You-tube however.

Sad, Sad, Sad.

And if she did do it go real (not willing to name partners involved smells like bullshit to me), realistically, considering the self-abuse she just per herself through, maybe a good psychologist should have a word with her.

Preferably one that's a classical art fan, or not a fan of 'modern art'.

Given she's got video recordings of the miscarriages, I'm willing to believe she did it for real. Unless the pretending is part of the cockeyed 'art' presentation.

[Ford Prefect]

How is this art, exactly? Call me crazy, isn't there supposed to be some skill or talent depicted in the process of making art? Anybody can bleed on a sheet.

[Cairber]

http://www.yale.edu/opa/

Statement by Helaine S. Klasky — Yale University, Spokesperson

New Haven, Conn. — April 17, 2008

Ms. Shvarts is engaged in performance art. Her art project includes visual representations, a press release and other narrative materials. 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.

She is an artist and has the right to express herself through performance art.

Had these acts been real, they would have violated basic ethical standards and raised serious mental and physical health concerns.

[Kanastrous]

How is this art, exactly? Call me crazy, isn't there supposed to be some skill or talent depicted in the process of making art? Anybody can bleed on a sheet.

That's why I have come to dislike most of the use of the word "artist," at least, on the part of most people who want to be called that.

"Art" has come to mean no standards regarding subject matter, execution, ability, or craft - which is okay with me, although it reduces the word to meaninglessness.

I call myself a craftsman, because a craft has specific rules and standards by which the quality of work can be judged, and because not just any asshole who smears dark stuff on light stuff, can really get away with claiming that they are in any meaningful way practicing a craft...unless they're claiming to be doing kindergarten grade "arts and crafts," which I guess I'd have to give them...

...my test has become to ask the person advertising themselves as an "artist": can you draw a horse?

The answer is almost always "no," although you only get there after fifteen to twenty minutes' masturbatory nonsense about how and why they're an artist, even thought they can't.

[Kanastrous]

http://www.yale.edu/opa/

Statement by Helaine S. Klasky — Yale University, Spokesperson

New Haven, Conn. — April 17, 2008

Ms. Shvarts is engaged in performance art. Her art project includes visual representations, a press release and other narrative materials. 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.

She is an artist and has the right to express herself through performance art.

Had these acts been real, they would have violated basic ethical standards and raised serious mental and physical health concerns.

Reminds me of William S. Burroughs' position on fakery in art.

Which is that, really, you can't successfully fake art, any more than you can fake a meal.

[Shinova]

And this sort of counts as a kind of murder does it not? I don't know at what point during each pregnancy she aborted, but it still gives off a slightly mass-murder type of feel.

Your subjective feelings are worth exactly shit.

While most people find this distasteful, she broke no laws. Her body, she can do as she wishes in this regard, but she's a stupid idiot for putting through that kind of abuse. Miscarriages are a serious business and it can't be healthy for her body to suffer that many in such a short time.

Mind you I'm pro-choice, and I was wondering at what stage of the pregnancy she's been aborting. And still has a mass-murder kind of feeling to it, because it's one thing to abort an unwanted pregnancy and another to willingly get pregnant for the sole purpose of aborting the fetuses.

I want to clarify that it's my feeling and not my judgement. I can feel one way but judge differently. I prefer not to judge at all if possible.