Menstrala: A Visual Arts Movement Reshaping Next Generations By Reframing the Oldest Taboo
Why Create Art Using This Medium?
The medium is the message.
~ Marshall McLuhan
The Medium Holds Power
Menstrual blood holds innate power to reshape human consciousness. Its long outdated stigma has turned it into a misunderstood taboo to the disservice of humanity.
The Medium is Forbidden
In any society that believes that looking at menstrual blood is offensive or harmful, it is expected to remain invisible & ignored. Women must deal with it privately, alone & in silence, with non-existent or inadequate support from health, education & economic systems.
Served to the Vatican
Menstrala No. 42, titled October Flight, was requested and served to the Vatican's website domain on November 9th, 2002. A testament to how powerful the medium is.
Since their publication in 2000, today Menstrala are academically recognized, decades after the genesis collection of 88 paintings were created by Vanessa Tiegs.
Cycle Logical Psychological Art
These artworks portray how the silenced bleeding experience shapes one's cyclical psychological outlook. The art movement also exposes society's attitude towards menstrual blood.
Setting A World Stage
In 2000, Menstrala inspired an art movement that gave girls a valid means of expression to deflect the conditioned shame in bleeding. Girls began creating Menstrala to help them define their sexuality, feminine identity and menstrual experience. Some chose to contribute their menstrual paintings to the academically accepted visual arts movement, while others kept them as private journals.
Menstrala redirect awareness to girls' menstrual poverty, the need for programs in middle schools, the lack of cultural validation of girls' first rite of passage, & the chronic health issues that menstruation & menopause cause. Menstrala also introduce practices for Mindful Menstruation.
Replacing Outdated Values
Menstrala rebalance the destructive programming honed on girls. Menstrala support educational health programs, such as CeMCOR's Endowment Fund. The Centre for Menstrual Cycle & Ovulation Research at the University of British Columbia promotes new medical standards in women's health.
Memes in the early 2000's
In just 2 months following their public unveiling in 2000, Vanessa Tiegs' LiveJournal of Spiraling Moon Pain-Things ignited an army of memes on Metafilter.com.
Film Appearances
Several Menstrala have appeared in film productions.
Period: The End of Menstruation
Moon Inside You
A Flowering Tree
1st International Menstrala Competition, 2014
Drew Over 100 Entries
In 2014, the University of Mexico organized the 1st International Menstrala Competition.
Vanessa Tiegs was invited to serve on the jury as a judge.
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