It seems that for art, genitalia and bodily fluids are the new black.
First, there were vagina necklaces. Then there were boner brooches. And now we’ve moved onto period-blood-splattered canvases. What’s next? Semen selfies? The possibilities are endless.
According to BuzzFeed News, 28-year-old Tamia Pall of Romania, Oradea is leading the charge in the world of menstrual art. Every month for 9 months, Pall satisfied her curiosity about whether period blood would work as paint by adding bit by bit to a self-portrait made entirely from her own menstrual blood.
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From there, Pall crafted other works of art from her menses with mixed reactions from viewers. Some think her work is gross, while others praise it for its innovative nature.
Pall exhibits her collection of work, one of which, an image of a fetus, is called “The Diary of My Period,” on her Facebook page.
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Pall challenges viewers to think of her artwork not simply as menstrual blood, but rather as something larger:
Each month a woman has the chance to became pregnant, but with the menstrual flow the ovum is eliminated, and the chance to have a baby in not relevant at all.My concept with this elimination of the ovum, through the menstrual blood I gave birth to an artwork during these nine month and actually I created a “start of the end… I feel that this artwork has a mission, even if it’s not able to see, to talk, or to breathe but maybe the audience will see, talk and breath instead of this little creature, independently from any sexual orientation, any skin tone or religious views… When an “ovum dies” an “artwork is born”.
As bizarre as it may seem, there is something kind of transcendent about her work. The idea that with death comes the birth of something new is refreshing in a way.
Still, there’s no unknowing the fact that this is human blood. Period blood. So if you’re considering making some for that special someone, just be sure the lucky recipient isn’t too queasy. Or easily grossed out. Or — you know what? — just don’t tell them it’s period blood at all.
And just in case there’s one thing holding you back from trying it yourself, Pall insists it “doesn’t have any smell at all.”
Phew. For a second there, I was concerned.