The Great Wall of Vagina: Changing female body perception through art

British artist James McCartney spent five years plaster casting 400 women’s vulvas for his sculpture The Great Wall of Vagina. The project is an exploration of women’s relationships with their genitals.

James came up with the idea while he was working on a different sculpture for a sex museum. He discovered that many women have anxiety about the appearance of their genitals, incorrectly believing they are ugly or abnormal. “It appalled me that our society has created yet one more way to make women feel bad about themselves” he said. He decided to do something about it – so he created art that dispels misconceptions about what women look like “down there.”

The women who volunteered to participate ranged in age from 18 to 76. There is great variety in the vulvas, as you would expect given there are 400 of them. One has multiple piercings, two are from identical twins, there are mother and daughter castings and transgendered men and women. There are even casts from a woman pre and post natal, and another pre and post labiaplasty. 

The sculptures are fascinating to look at and people can view them without feeling shame or discomfort because the images are not pornographic. They allow women (and men) the opportunity to see the immense diversity in female genitalia. Each one is completely different and completely normal.

Check out the videos below to learn more about James and The Great Wall of Vagina (which should probably be called The Great Wall of Vulva, since the vagina is your birth canal, while the vulva is your sex organ. But I’ll forgive James that grammatical mishap, because his project is awesome!). 

How understanding my cycle empowered me

For many women their extent of knowledge about their monthly cycle is not much more than, “I bleed once a month... if I’m not pregnant.” That was about as much as I knew once, but over the last five years I’ve learned a lot more about my cycle, and what I’ve discovered has changed my life for the better. This is the story of my cycle self discovery.

At sixteen I was prescribed the birth control pill, and I used it constantly for 10 years. I didn’t question anything about it; it was prescribed by my doctor, everyone I knew used it and it performed its function beautifully. It was easy because I never had to think about it. What I learned in recent years, however, is that not thinking about your cycle is doing yourself an incredible disservice.



After getting involved in feminism in my early twenties, I started to hear about alternative choices for birth control and sanitary products. The first time I stepped outside the Tampax box was when I tried the Diva Cup, which is an alternative to tampons and pads. The Diva Cup is a small silicon cup that you insert into the vagina to collect menstrual blood. The cup is reusable – you simply tip, rinse and reinsert as needed. Prior to using it, I’d never had any cause to take note of what was going on during my period. After using the Cup, I became comfortable inserting and removing it with my fingers and I could see the colour, consistency and amount that was normal to bleed each cycle. It doesn’t sound like much, but it was interesting and exciting for me to gain a better understanding of my period.

The Diva Cup

When I told other people about the Diva Cup I often heard, “Gross! I don’t want to stick my fingers up there and get my hands dirty!” It saddened and frustrated me that women could be so afraid of their own bodily fluids because tampons have allowed us to become so detached from our menstrual blood. I started to realize that women in general are poorly educated about their own cycles and about the variety of menstrual products and birth control methods that are available.



The next big leap for me was when I learned about a natural method of birth control that involves charting your cycle and making observations about your vaginal discharge in order to determine your fertility. I met with a Fertility Management Practitioner and learned how to observe, chart and interpret my menstrual cycle to determine when I’m fertile and infertile.



Prior to this discovery, I had no idea that women’s bodies give them direct and obvious signs when they’re fertile. I was outraged that I’d never been taught that in Sex Education. Learning how to chart and interpret your cycle using the Justisse method is effective, free and incredibly empowering. I won’t deny that in order to chart your cycle you need to be dedicated, organized, and practice charting for about 6 months before you get the hang of it. It’s not easy at first, but it’s so rewarding.



Now I intimately understand every phase of my cycle. I’ve been off hormonal birth control for almost two and a half years and I feel great. Many women are unaware of the potential side effects of hormonal contraceptives, including anxiety, depression, decreased sex drive, weight gain, intense mood swings and more.* Not only do I understand my cycle better, I feel that my sexuality is truly mine because it’s not influenced by external hormones. Since going off hormonal birth control, I’ve felt more confident and open about my own sexuality. It’s good to know what my natural rhythm is, because the more I understand about my body, the more I know what’s healthy and normal for me. Knowledge is power, especially when it relates to our own health.



I’m grateful for the inventions of tampons and The Pill and the many freedoms they have brought women, but we need to be aware of the other options out there. All women deserve bodily autonomy: the choice and resources to have children (or not), to have an abortion (or not), to choose our sexual partners, to choose when to have sex and so much more. In order to make those choices, we should know more about our cycles, but no one is going to spoon feed that information to us. You have to be responsible for your own reproductive health, and although that’s not easy, it’s empowering to take that responsibility into your own hands. I recommend it to everyone – so, what are you waiting for? Get out there and learn about your cycle! It’s probably some of the most useful and practical knowledge you can obtain.



*Reference: Coming off the Pill, the Patch, the Shot and Other Hormonal Contraceptives by M. Lalonde and G. Matus.

Your Birth Control Options

A great little video by Dr. Betty Dodson and Carlin Ross - two very cool feminist sex educators.

Thoughts on the film “TEETH” and a world where women don’t have to fear rape

I recently watched the campy horror/comedy film TEETH, which has been on my list of films to see ever since I read about it in feminist magazines and blogs. I knew the basic premise of the story was a female character with a toothed vagina, and that was enough to entice me into finding out more. But what I didn’t expect was to enjoy the movie so much: both because it was a hilarious spoof on horror films, and also because as a feminist, it left me with a lot to think about. Some of those thoughts I’ll share here, after a brief synopsis of the film for those who haven’t seen it.



*Spoiler Alert!* Some of the plot is revealed here.



TEETH is the story of Dawn, a high school girl who discovers her vagina has teeth inside it. The first time she becomes fully aware of this is when she’s on a date with a boy from high school and he attempts to rape her. Dawn fights back but he eventually forces himself upon her. As he enters her, the teeth go into attack mode and needless to say, the boy loses his “manhood.”



Dawn is both horrified and terrified by what her vagina has done, so she visits a doctor to seek information about her unique anatomy. The male doctor asks her, “Have you ever had an internal exam before?” and when she replies no, a creepy grin spreads across his face. “So I imagine you have no idea what to expect” he says, as he lubes up his hand. He then proceeds to molest Dawn, violently fisting her while telling her, “I’m just testing your flexibility.” When Dawn realizes she’s being molested, once again the teeth go into attack mode, and the creepy doctor loses his hand.



Similar situations to the ones just described unfold throughout the film. At first it seems that Dawn has no control over the teeth inside her - they seem to bite everything that ventures into her vagina. But she eventually discovers that the teeth do not bite when she’s with a man who’s treating her respectfully; the teeth only bite men who violently force their way into her vagina.



Dawn comes to realize the power she holds within herself: touch me without my consent and you’ll pay. By the end of the film, Dawn’s character has changed from a timid, fearful girl who doesn’t understand her body to a strong, powerful woman who has no fear. She understands her body and how it will react when she becomes an object of violence.



One of the only things that I didn’t like about this film was that almost every man who came into Dawn’s life was a “bad guy.” All the guys she dated, the doctor, her brother, and others throughout the film, all were intent on raping, molesting or otherwise abusing her. I do realize that for some women, that is their reality: rape and abuse is all around them. But most women do not experience such a string of abuse in a short period of time. If I were to re-make this movie, I would introduce more male characters that were not out to harm Dawn, because the ratio of asshole rapists to regular nice guys was way out of proportion. In that way, I felt that this film misrepresents men.



But the movie definitely left me with a lot to think about. What if women never had to fear rape? Imagine how that would feel. Imagine what we could do without having to worry. We could walk home alone in the dark without fear. We could wear whatever we wanted without fearing that we’re “asking for it.” We could hitchhike without fear. I realize that bad things other than rape can happen to women in these situations; we could get robbed or beaten or any number of other horrible things. But being able to remove one of our greatest fears, sexual violence, would be quite a relief.



Now this brings me to Rapex: the internal anti-rape device that was invented for use by women in South Africa, which has the world's highest rate of sexual assault. Dubbed the “rape trap,” Rapex is a product worn internally by women. The hollow inside is lined with rows of razor-sharp hooks, which are designed to latch on to a rapist's penis during penetration. They can only be removed by a doctor. Apparently, the words of a rape victim - "If only I had teeth down there" - inspired the design of Rapex.



I’m not convinced that a device like Rapex is the solution to rape. As feminist organizations in South Africa have pointed out, women shouldn’t have to adapt to rape, and there are also fears that once a man’s penis is “bitten,” the pain may cause him to incite greater violence upon the woman.



Anyway, the film left me questioning how the world would be different if women had the physical power to fight back against rape. Most women are no match, physically, for a man intent on raping. We are powerless as someone forces their way inside us with violence and intimidation. What if no man ever dared to do that, because if he did, he’d pay with the loss of his most valuable possession? How different the world would be.

Vintage Japanese Political Poster

PinkTentacle posted a neat-o collection of vintage Japanese political posters - and this is my favourite. It's supposedly an anti-pollution poster, but it could also have a host of other meanings and interpretations. Interesting stuff.

Feminist Tattoos!

Tonight: Celebrating Canadian Women and Talking About Vaginas!

Tonight on the show we're discussing two very different topics. First up, a belated Canada-day celebration where we'll focus on a few awesome Canadian women from the past and present.



Later in the show, we get down to business and discuss one of our favourite subjects - VAGINAS! In particular, we'll be discussing alternative names for "vagina" (things like Vajayjay, pussy, etc), and we pose the question: why do we even come up with these silly names in the first place?



Tune in from 8-9 pm on CJSW 90.9 fm. Remember, you can listen online at www.cjsw.com, and you can also subscribe to our podcast.

Monday's Show: Designer Vaginas and more!

Monday's show will feature a discussion on "Designer Vaginas" - a slang term for Vaginal Reconstructive Surgery, or plastic surgery "down there." According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, these surgeries have become the hottest trend in the field.



Related articles:

Meet the Genitailor - The Tyee.ca, 2005

Designer Vaginas - The Globe and Mail, 2005

Designer Vaginas - Salon.com, 2000





We'll also discuss a study from 2007 that was recently unearthed by two women from Bioethics Forum. In the study, a doctor from Cornell University defends the practice of surgically cutting girls' clitorises. He also used vibrators on girls as young as 6 in order to "test sensation in their nerves."



Related articles:

Bad Vibrations - Bioethics Forum, 2010

Cornell Surgeon Used Vibrator to Stimulate Six-Year-Olds - Jezebel, 2010





Finally, we'll briefly touch on the G8 summit, where "Maternal Health" was a signature focus when world leaders gathered this past weekend in Huntsville, Ontario.



Related articles:

Maternal Health: 10 Reasons You Should Care About the G8 Summit - Best Health, 2010

Women's health initiative fails to inspire - Ottawa Citizen, 2010

You want me to stick that where?

This vintage ad from 1902 reads:

Every woman is interested and should know about the wonderful MARVEL Whirling Spray! The new vaginal syringe. Injection and suction. Best - safest - most convenient. It cleanses instantly.



Ask your druggist for it. If he cannot supply the MARVEL, accept no other, but send stamp for illustrated book __?__. It gives full particulars and directions invaluable to ladies.

Um, OK, so where to begin...

1. Injection and suction? What the fuck? Is this secretly a home abortion kit made to look like a douche?

2. "Ask your druggist for it. If HE cannot supply..." Naturally, the druggist is a man.

3. The illustrated book is "invaluable to ladies" eh? Hmm, I want to see these illustrations!

4. Whirling spray in MY vagina? Oh, Hell no!



Thanks to Vintage Ads for posting this little beauty!

The VaJayJay Monologues come to Calgary

The VaJayJay Monologues is showing in Calgary from April 29 to May 8, 2010.



Showing Tuesday – Saturday @ 8:00pm

2:00pm matinee on May 2nd & 8th

$10 Artist’s Matinee on Thursday, May 6th at 2:00pm

Pay what you can preview 8:00pm April 28, 2009



$22.00 for adults

$17.00 for students/seniors/equity artists



For tickets call 403-263-0079 or visit Urban Curvz.

Calgary Aboriginal Women's Group presents: The Vagina Monologues

Tomorrow night the Calgary Aboriginal Women's Group presents Eve Ensler's THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES.



Saturday March 27

7:00pm - 10:30pm

4825 Mount Royal Gate SW



Tickets: $15.00 in advance or $20.00 at the door

Tickets available at:

Blame Betty 17th ave SW

Mikey's Juke Joint 11th ave SW



Proceeds to benefit the Awo'taan Healing Lodge (90%) & the Vday Campaign Spotlight : Women's Congo project (10%).



For more information contact: 403-481-4962

Mimosa Pale's Mobile Female Monument - The Vagina Bike

I've been meaning to post this entry for months now, so I'm very happy to finally be sharing it. Some time ago, I stumbled across an image of Finnish artist Mimosa Pale posing with her Mobile Female Monument or vagina bike, as it has become affectionately known since its debut on Scandinavian city streets. The artist is known to employ conventional mediums in thought-provoking ways, using both performance and sculpture to convey powerful, sometimes unsettling messages about body, environment, nature and human relationships with these things.

The Mobile Female Monument was a sculpture that originally showed in 2007 at Tennispalatsi Art Museum in Helsinki and covered all of the above; the sculpture is a perfectly detailed replica of a woman's vulva and sits atop a four-wheeled bike frame transforming itself into an undeniably inviting and fantastic mobile unit.

On Mimosa Pale's website, you'll find a photo gallery depicting images of the artist towing this quite anatomically correct and convincingly realistic sculpture throughout the streets of what appears to be a bustling Finnish metropolis (Helsinki, perhaps). While making its way through city streets, observers stopped to capture stills of the bike with their mobile phones and interacted with the sculpture. It has coarse little hairs poking out from the area that would encompass the outer lips (labia majora). It even has clit, hood, labia minora and a giant vaginal orifice that can be entered and enjoyed as a seating place for anyone wishing to be a passenger in this 'taxi', of sorts. Amazing!

I think this particular piece of artwork is a refreshing way to establish a sense of comfort with this body part that has for a very long time been viewed as a repugnant one in many cultures. In North America for instance, so many girls grow up questioning what normal vulvae should look like, convincing ourselves that our own are ugly, smelly, and generally unpleasant both aesthetically and conceptually. Mimosa Pale's Mobile Female Monument successfully challenges these types of notions, reducing them to exactly what they are: self-deprecating ideas that teach us never to be comfortable or happy in our own bodies.
When accessible in public settings, a sculpture or performance piece like this one allows for mass de-stigmatization of social and cultural relationships with the female body. Previously learned attachments to negative ideas regarding women's bodies can be challenged not only by women, but by men, children, and all other members of a community alike. Bringing female body parts into the open (so to speak) and breaking up the "male-centric" fabric that has woven its way into much of society over the centuries appears to be exactly what Mimosa had in mind and, to that I say, mission: beautifully accomplished.

World's Strongest Vagina!

Tatiata Kozhevnikova, a 42 year old woman from Russia, apparently has the world's strongest vagina, according to Guiness World Records. She has been exercising her "intimate muscles" for fifteen years and can lift 14 kilograms (almost 31 pounds) with her vagina. Wow.

How exactly does she lift weights with her vadge? Tatiata explains, "You insert [a ball] in your vagina, and it has a string attached to it with a little hook at the very end. You fix a second ball onto this hook."

Vaginas are pretty amazing, eh? Not only do they give us pleasure, allow us to pee, bleed monthly and deliver human life.... they can also lift weights! Vaginas rock.

The Vagina Dress

Feminist blog Jezebel has a great post about this hilarious "vagina dress." Apparently the blog-o-sphere has been buzzing about this unfortunately-designed gown that was intended to look like a heart, but looks a lot more like a giant vulva.

As Jezebel says, " Whether you think you're wearing your heart or your vagina on your dress, ladies, wear it proudly."