Artistic Indecency

Deflowered 

"She passed the decency test!" I jokingly exclaimed. I entered this piece into an open art show that reserved the right to refuse any art deemed offensive.

I made 'Deflowered' specifically for this show without giving much thought to decency - until I packed her up for delivery.  Then it occurred to me that this might (and probably will) offend somebody.  Old ladies and young girls may view it and feel shame at their own anatomy they rarely get to see.  Young boys may become aroused, teenage boys may be filled with depraved thoughts and old men may be disgusted (and relieved) by their need for Viagra.

I thought this was a little edgy when I created it, but forgot to consider decency; because my anatomy is not indecent. My vulva is a beautiful flower sought after by my lovers. It oozes with strength and power. My menses is not a curse; it is a blessing. It is gift of creative flow and heightened intuition. The curse is the inability to retreat and perform menstrual rituals. The curse is society's discomfort with the rites of my womb. The curse is the degradation of my anatomy into simply cheap popcorn porn- a plush hole to be assaulted and pounded; a hole without a face or feelings or a soul. The curse is not mine, it is yours.

Luckily, artists are an open minded bunch who like to push boundaries and nudge us out of our comfort zone.  'It's just a flower ... with cranberry juice.' one joked. But no, it is not. It is a beautiful, bleeding vulva imbedded in a flower.