Dead Babies

An article I read on www.metalreviews.com.
Full article: http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/24513

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.

How would you consider this? Is it pushing the boundaries of art, or a plain lame act of seeking attention?

On the former
Art has always been known for creating controversies, often using elements like the human body, nature, religion etc to convey their messages. Of course art mediates in many forms like paintings, music, film etc and over the years more and more controversies have emerged thanks to the creative minds of the artists. Ethical boundaries have been pushed and stretched wide like an elastic band that seems to have infinite elasticity. But is it really infinite? To those who appreciate art as a form of expression and creativity this doesn't seem a problem at all. It's something no one has ever tried before and I'm sure there are people who are eagerly looking forward to the end product.

I understand the need (if it is actually one in the first place) to take things to greater heights, but I firmly believe there should be a limit to it. I consider this a form of mockery to nature. The human body was built to operate naturally without any 'external' intervention. Abortion is a heinous act against nature and law. Of course there are situations where an abortion is needed when the health of the mother is in jeopardy or the fetus is bound to be a disfigured/disabled child. These are the only two reasons for me to condone abortion, the rest is horse-shit. You're not ready to have a kid-you should have used a rubber. Your girlfriend is pregnant-you should have used a rubber. You can't afford another child-you should have used a rubber, it's only RM 12 for a pack of threes. Your mistake isn't the (should have been) child's to bear. And now making an art out of dead babies is officially the sickest thing to date since Mawi's win on Akademi Fantasia.

Apart from the argument over ethics on this issue, this lady clearly doesn't see the future consequences on her health. Aborting by the use of medications which is purely chemical spells a rotten womb in the near future.

On the latter

She obviously is trying to get famous the easy way since she probably doesn't possess any artistic talent AT ALL. The world has revolved around materialism since the start and it is just human to achieve it in ANY possible way. From singing off key on American Idol to prostituting one's self, just to gain a little recognition. And with that recognition comes the influx of green notes into your bank account, Swiss if you're big.

To me what this lady is doing is purely an abomination, be it for artistic values or attention. I hope she continues her work and I wish her the best in bleeding to death.