I was happy to see this story come across my various social media newsfeeds yesterday. It made me smile.
Vulva artist transforms Colorado women’s vaginas into body-positive art
Jamie McCartney, creator of The Great Wall of Vagina, casts American women for new work and says of the message behind his famous plaster casts: ‘You’re normal. Whatever you’ve got down there, leave it alone’
“There’s nowhere to go for information [on the vulva], so someone can easily be persuaded for surgery … If you look at medical texts of genitals, they’re not very broad, so TGWV presents 400 women and what you see is that someone in there’s going to look a little bit like you,” said McCartney. “It’s effective in combating the messages that are coming from plastic surgeons, saying ‘You’re defective if you don’t have a child-like [vulva].’ Only about 5% of the casts meet that ‘perfect’ ideal. I don’t think 95% of women are defective. That’s not possible.”
I don’t have a lot to add to this story besides “YAY!”
Go have a look at the great wall of genitalia here.
On the one hand, do what you choose with your genitals. If there’s ever a place to apply the underpants rule, it’s here. On the other hand, the pressure on women to conform to a single beauty/body ideal by any means necessary has clearly gone too far. It’s nice to see some resistance.
And part of why I don’t have much to add is that I’ve said it all before. Interested in issues about the quest for perfect labia and cosmetic surgery? Read my past posts:
- Further thoughts on camel toe, Barbie crotch, and the quest for tidy bodies
- The day I discovered the dreaded camel toe
- Is the “Toronto Trim” the solution to women’s cycling discomfort?
