Yale Senior Self-Induced Abortions for Art Project

[Kevlar281]

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.

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I’ve always been on the fence about abortion but good lord this is just appalling.

[ISUKappa]

Originally Posted by Kevlar281

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I’ve always been on the fence about abortion but good lord this is just appalling.

I don't even know how to respond to that.

I'm assuming she took pregnancy tests to prove she was indeed pregnant before taking the supplements to induce abortion. Otherwise, how would she know she was actually miscarrying? Even with perfect cycles and perfect timing of intercourse, a healthy woman only has about a 20% chance of becoming pregnant any given cycle.

[AlethiaSi]

I am pro-choice through and through and i thought this was very interesting... graphic, but interesting.

I think to some degree it appears that she is "trivializing" abortion, but I don't believe that it was her intention... This topic is difficult for people to handle overall and often, people need to make sense of something... that is seemingly senseless.

if you don't like it... don't go see the exhibit...

*This isn't to downplay how traumatic abortion can be and I don't necessarily agree with what she's doing, but I'll defend her right to do it.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AlethiaSi

I am pro-choice through and through and i thought this was very interesting... graphic, but interesting.

I think to some degree it appears that she is "trivializing" abortion, but I don't believe that it was her intention...

It may not have been her intention, but I find it appalling and horrifying. It doesn't appear that she is trivilizing, she is trivializing it whether she intended to or not. And I lean pro-choice, too.

I'm sorry, I just think the whole "trying to spark discussion" thing is plain stupid. Well, she got the discussion -- hope it didn't take her by surprise.

[Senusret I]

This is sickening.

[Kevin]

Perhaps the piece of art stands for the proposition that a woman ultimately has complete control of her reproductive body. Perhaps this is a sort of 'celebration' of that freedom?

Pretty sick, but it doesn't take much of a stretch to find a deeper meaning here.

[shinerbock]

Who gives a crap about what deeper meaning exists here? I could shoot an innocent dude in the face and make some vague and ridiculous point about liberating my unseeing consciousness, but that doesn't make it a legitimate thing to do.

This is disgusting and repulsive. Fairly indicative of the artistic and academic communities who think social mores don't apply to them because their callings are loftier.

[Munchkin03]

What an insipid ivory-tower little freak.

[Coramoor]

...so this is what feminism's ultimate purpose was. Wonderful.

What a good person she is. We can all hope our daughters grow up to be as well adjusted as her.

[skylark]

Originally Posted by Coramoor

...so this is what feminism's ultimate purpose was. Wonderful.

Good grief. I don't think that the women's movement has anything to do with this person's art project. The suggestion that women like Betty Freidan and Gloria Steinem were secretly wanting to see women purposely impregnate and miscarry (in the name of art?) says more about your limited rational abilities than it says anything about feminism. The women's movement is about equal rights, equal pay, equal respect. Not this. Get a clue.

My personal opinion is that this whole thing has more to do with the 1st amendment than abortion rights.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

What an insipid ivory-tower little freak.

Pretty much.

[DSTCHAOS]

Fast forward: I wonder if she plans on conceiving and actually giving birth one day. Can her "spark discussion" crap actually affect her health?

[nittanyalum]

Woooowwwwww. I lean pro-choice too, but god, but this is beyond the pale. Sickening.

[texas*princess]

Wow. I don't even know how to respond.

A phrase comes to mind:

"Just because you can, doesn't mean you should."

I find it crazy that someone would do this - repeatedly no less - for an art project.

I'm all about women's rights, but that's a bit extreme if you ask me.

[EE-BO]

Some people are just sick beyond belief.

What appalls me is that Yale would tolerate this. Art should be given every leeway imaginable, but this has clearly crossed a boundary into something totally without worth.

I think performance/experience art in general attracts students who lack the talent to use artistic media which are more traditional- but which also require a lot more work because they must convey an idea even when the artist is not there.

Sure there is some greatness in this art form, but this is one more example (and the worst I have ever seen) of how it lends itself to abuse by talentless exhibitionists.