Vulvagraphics: a new kind of activist medical information design

Thought some of you might be interested in this! <vbg>

The political arts & crafts show and "salon", sponsored by the New 
View Campaign, was held in New York City, 24-25 October 2009.

Titled _Vulvagraphics: An Intervention in Honor of Female Genital 
Diversity_, it was geared at combating the "misinformation" being used 
to grow the genital cosmetic surgery industry in the U.S.

There is a website at

http://newviewcampaign.org/vulvagraphics.asp

and a detailed review appeared in _The Women's Health Activist_ 
newsletter for March/April 2010 (vol. 35, no. 2, pp. 6-7). This is a 
publication of the advocacy group, National Women's Health Network 
(NWHN), which publishes some articles from their newsletter (on a 
delayed schedule) at their website:

http://nwhn.org/newsletter

Not sure if the review of _Vulvagraphics_ will appear on their website 
or not, so I'm including an ASCII transcript from my copy of the 
newsletter below.

Also of note: the cover story from this same issue of the newsletter 
probably will be posted to their website eventually, and it should be 
of interest to those thinking about public health advocacy and the 
"obesity" issue:

	Baehr, Ninia.  "Fat Is a Feminist Issue and a Health Issue --
	How Can Women's Health Advocates Help?"  _The Women's Health
	Activist_ 35.2 (March/April 2010): 1, 3 and 10.

Those who think they might want to read this article (authored by the 
Program Director for the Montana Nutrition and Physical Activity 
Program to Prevent Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases) should check 
the NWHN website again in a month or so.

OK, now let's see if the Café listserv filters let this post through, 
or bounce it back to me as pornography! ;-)

Deborah
_____

Deborah Taylor-Pearce
[email protected]



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Review of the Oct. 2009 _Vulvagraphics_ exhibition:


	"As part of the New View Campaign's effort to celebrate depictions of 
true-to-Iife female genital diversity, the group held a political art 
show, activist arena, and salon in New York City last fall, entitled: 
_Vulvagraphics: An Intervention in Honor of Female Genital Diversity_. 
The event was an attempt to counteract women's constant bombardment 
with messages that induce anxiety, insecurity, and unrealistic 
expectations about their bodies, and to demonstrate that vulvas that 
are differently shaped, colored, sized, and aged are OK just as they are.

	"An arts event with education and activism on its agenda, the exhibit 
included many representations of female vulvas. The opening reception 
honored Betty Dodson for her long-time work as a graphic artist and 
sex educator; Dodson let everyone know that her orgasms were still 
going strong at age 80! The event included a wonderfully explicit 
display of photographs of vulvas of all shapes, colors, and sizes, 
including the photo mosaic _V_ by artist Gene Greger. Zoe Markwalter's 
photo exhibit, _Addressing the Box_, featured photographs of vulvas 
and women's thoughts about their bodies 'down there'. Alexandra 
Jacoby's piece, _vagina verité_, a collection of portraits showcasing 
the uniqueness of vulvas, will appear in a book in February 2010. A 
reprint of Gustave Courbet's painting, _L'Origine du Monde_ (Origin of 
the World), was also included due to the painting's graphic and 
realistic nature, which was considered controversial when it was first 
displayed in 1866 and which retains a striking power in the present day.

	"Nearby, multi-colored knitted vulvas created by the International 
Vulva Knitting Circle were displayed on a table. Dorrie Lane's 
inviting and colossal _Vulva Puppet_, a giant vulva sewn from cloth 
and padding emphasized vulva beauty using both size and detail. Joani 
Blank's popular photography book, _Femalia_, showcased vulvas' 
splendor while Nancy Redd's book, _Body Drama_ (Gotham Press 2007), 
highlighted and explained 'body issues' that are, too often, points of 
contention for women, such as vaginal, breast, and sexual health. The 
book includes wonderful photographs of young women of all shapes, 
sizes, and ethnicities that promote the message of body acceptance and 
reject the notion that real images of the female form should be taboo. 
Video pieces drew the viewer into a world of vulval splendor, 
including: _Zen Pussy_, by sexual artiste Annie Sprinkle; _Viva la 
Vulva_, by Betty Dodson; and _Vagina De/ReConstructia_, by the subRosa 
Collective.

	"The New View Campaign, formed In 2000 by Leonore Tiefer, PhD, is a 
grassroots network that challenges the distorted and oversimplified 
messages about sexuality that the pharmaceutical and medical 
industries rely upon to sell drugs. Both the medical and 
pharmaceutical industries want people to believe that sexual problems 
are simple medical matters and that drugs and surgery are quick, 
harmless solutions. But sexual problems are complicated, sexuality is 
diverse, and no drug or medical procedure is without side effects. The 
New View Campaign seeks to expose the deceptions and consequences of 
the pharmaceutical industry's involvement in sex research, sexuality 
education, and sexual treatments, and to generate alternatives to the 
medical model of sexuality. The Campaign calls for research and 
services driven by women's own needs and sexual realities rather than 
by commercial interests.

	"The Campaign has coordinated several events including conferences 
and continuing education programs, and has participated in Food and 
Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee meetings. In 2008, the 
Campaign held its first street demonstration to protest the growth and 
lack of regulation of female genital cosmetic surgery, and picketed a 
cosmetic genital surgeon's office in 2009. Women often choose vaginal 
cosmetic surgery based on misinformation about what 'normal' genitalia 
looks like and how safe the procedure is, while doctors often fail to 
advertise surgery's risks and focus instead on improving women's 
'self-esteem'. The New View Campaign believes that women who are 
deciding about surgery must have all of the health and safety 
information at hand, and know that, in real life, women's bodies are 
very diverse in appearance.

	"_Vulvagraphics_ was an outgrowth of these activities, designed to 
highlight women's critical attitudes about their own genitals and 
bodies, and to protest the genital cosmetic surgery. The event 
included both artists' perspectives and attendees' participation. At 
an installation called _The Fitting Room_, which parodied vaginal 
cosmetic alterations, participants were invited to 'try on' a new, 
cosmetically altered vulva. As shown in the accompanying photo, the 
attendee participated by sitting on a stool and holding up a 
photograph of a 'new' vulva, [thereby] allowing her to admire her 
altered self in a nearby mirror. If trying on a new vulva was not 
appealing, participants were also invited to participate in Betty 
Dodson's _The Vulva Drawings_, by coloring drawings of vulvas (see 
photo) and writing a letter to university women's centers across the 
nation advocating for the provision of improved, extensive body and 
sexuality education.

	"Part of the event was a salon entitled 'Critical Issues in Genital 
Activism', featuring Dr. Tiefer, founder of the New View Campaign; Jon 
Knowles, Planned Parenthood Federation of America's (PPFA) Director of 
Public Information; Svetlana Mintcheva, the National Coalition Against 
Censorship's Director of Programs; and Meika Loe, Associate Professor 
of Sociology and Women's Studies at Colgate University. The speakers 
discussed how public and policy discourse focuses on men's sexIuality 
and health and tends to ignore women's sexual health (other than 
efforts to prohibit contraception and abortion)[.] Dr. Tiefer talked 
about how this discrepancy relates to the pharmaceutical companies and 
the medical community and, in particular, to plastic surgeons. Knowles 
noted that PPFA's sexual health pamphlets on puberty have more 
detailed information on boy's sexual health than girls' and failed to 
address girl's genital diversity. He commented that _Vulvagraphics_ 
had inspired him to create a new PPFA brochure entitled, _You and Your 
Vulva_. Mintcheva described her research on the prevalence of 
censorship of artistic images of female nudes, when images of male 
nudes tend not to generate similar complaints. In Loe's hopeful 
speech, she discussed educating men about the ways in which men's 
sexuality is marketed to the detriment of both men and women, and 
advocated against viewing women as objects that should all look a 
certain way.

	"We cannot talk about women's bodies and sexual health without 
talking about the patriarchy. Too often, the expression of men's 
sexuality is encouraged, while women's sexuality is viewed as 
threatening and something that needs to be 'fixed' and/or suppressed. 
Images and media portrayals of women often make women feel guilty or 
ashamed of their breasts, vulvas, and desires and have the potential 
to create a disconnect between and a woman and her body. For example, 
Ms. Mintcheva described a controversy that occurred when a bank placed 
flowers in a public space, generating complaints about their 
resemblance to female genitalia -- clearly illustrating a major 
problem in our culture. _Vulvagraphics_ was both a testament to, and 
celebration of, women taking charge of their sexual health by becoming 
informed about their own anatomy and physiology, the role of culture 
and diversity, and the impact of power and politics on their self 
conception.

	"Rachel Liebert, founder of the International Vulva Knitting Circle 
and New View Campaign member, commented: 'I don't want profit-driven 
industries to be the source of women's information about their bodies 
and sexuality. I joined this project because it speaks back to a long 
history of shame, fear, and silence. It shows how beautiful our 
genitalia are, and celebrates girls and women collectively crafting 
and sharing resistance to false messages.' As Dr. Tiefer noted, 'Girls 
and women need positive attitudes about their vulvas to feel 
comfortable with sex and intimacy and to be proactive about their 
health. But we can't develop or sustain positive attitudes if the 
vulva images we see are post-operative, air-brushed, or drawn as 
hairless stick figure cartoons. Girls and women in the 21st century 
require self-confidence to resist misinformation. The New View 
Campaign is creating a nationwide movement to celebrate depictions of 
true-to-life female genital diversity.'

	"The New View Campaign facilitated _Vulvagraphics_ with the 
assistance of the City University of New York's (CUNY) Graduate Center 
and students from The New School. To see more photos and learn about 
the New View Campaign, visit the website at: 
http://www.newviewcampaign.org. All photos are reprinted with 
permission from http://www.newviewcampaign.org/vulvagraphics.asp."


(from _The Women's Health Activist_ newsletter for March/April 2010, 
vol. 35, no. 2, pp. 6-7)

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