April 21, 2008

In Search of Art

Over the weekend, a friend of mine sent me a link to this article: "For Senior, abortion a medium for art, political discourse." (Now there are all kinds of news stories saying it’s "creative fiction." For the record, the "artist" still says it’s real.) The short and not sweet version of it is basically this: some messed up chick inseminated herself multiple times over a 9 month period, then induced abortion, and took video and pictures of herself doing so in the name of art. (You should know that she’s referring to these multiple incidents as "miscarriages." FYI to the art student, it’s only a "miscarriage" if it’s a natural occurrence. It’s called abortion when you do it to yourself and want it to happen.) That’s right people; she’s displaying everything from the videos to the blood. She decided to run her body through multiple induced miscarriages/abortions to "spark conversation and debate on the relationship between art and the human body." Here’s some conversation for you on that.

I am absolutely aghast about this. What professor approves such a reckless and disgusting project? What kind of person thinks this is a good idea? This is one project that carries the whole, "my mind, my body, my choice" thing a bit too far. This type of "project" should not be an option or a choice. It’s just plain sick.

This misguided and obviously in-need-of-help individual thought she was making art, when in fact she was starting human lives and disposing of them so that she could create what she deems to be "art." What’s next? Let’s shoot people and take pictures of the aftermath to spark conversation about violence?

If she wants to do things to her own body, fine; but when she decided to use potential human lives as toys in her stupid little game, she crossed the line. I’d also like to know more about this so-called self insemination. What does that mean exactly? She had sex with random people? She went to a fertility clinic and was inseminated there? If that’s the case, I’d like to know which idiots continued to inseminate this obviously disturbed woman. When I think about all the people I know who desperately want to add to their family and can’t, it makes me even more sick. Recently there have been some seriously disturbing displays of art, but this little abortion project is the absolute worst.

Another blogger recently posted a link to pictures of dead people that was also being called "art." Readers of her blog posted hundreds of comments talking about the "beauty" of these pictures and stating that anyone who doesn’t like them can’t deal with their own mortality. Maybe I’m guilty of that, because I thought the pictures were disturbing and anything but art. But what I’d really like to know is this: when did "art" stop being Monet and Picasso and start becoming a must-push-the-limits toying with human lives and subsequent death?

If these displays are "art," then I can do without. Paint brush anyone?