Amenorrhea (17)

20" X 5.5"

oil on wood

Amenorrhea 4

In this piece, the seashells, blood and a menstrual pad on a circular shaped canvas, refer to my inability to obtain a normal menstrual cycle.

Amenorrhea 3

Drawing/Quilt

Within this piece are five drawings of the inside of a pomegranate which symbolizes the early stages of the menstrual cycle. Menstruation, the process where blood exits the body, is also depicted by the red painted branches of a pomegranate shrub peeking through the brown ones. As the viewer progresses clockwise, the drawing portrays the decaying process of the fruit, which implies the absence of menstruation. The continuation of this unusual condition is reflected by the circular shape of the piece. Finally, I tied these series of representations together by sewing the drawings into one and trimming the piece in lace, making it a quit as well as a drawing.

Amenorrhea 2

From a distance, one may suspect they are viewing a simple arrangement of colorful seashells, however they are not.  Upon closer inspection, the viewer can plainly see that the shells are actually set upon a menstrual pad floating inside of a toilet. The shells portray feminine sexuality since their forms curve inward, resembling female genitals. Before the viewer realizes it, they have become a voyeur. From the opening of the conch shell, a small splat of blood, instead of the usual flow, hints to a lack of menstruation. The oval contour of the drawing plays off the shape of a toilet seat, completing the piece.