Collection of Menstrual Blood

As always i'm looking for ways to collect my bodily parts safely without causing harm or unnecessary disgust to my housemates.

http://www.mooncup.co.uk/

This mooncup this seems literally mazing just collect menstrual blood during my period.

Proposal

Name:

Megan Frances Baker

E-mail:

Mb96174@students.leeds-art.ac.uk

SUBJECTS OF CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH ALREADY UNDERTAKEN

Level 4:

Advertising / children development / consumerism /

Level 5:

BDSM / psychosexual analysis / exploitation / feminism / sadomasochism

AIM AND/OR OBJECTIVE OF YOUR PROPOSED C.O.P.3 PROJECT

To see why certain objects and substances are seen as disgusting to the public – and if they can be seen as beautiful in artistic contexts such as contemporary jewellery and fashion.

What research needs to be undertaken into the general and specific contexts of your practice?

Research into past and present jewellery art practitioners. Kristeva’s Powers of Horror Menninghaus’ DISGUST Research into natural processes of the body (e.g mucus membranes, sweat glands.) Advertising to inform what is ‘beautiful’ and ‘ugly’ Looking at a feminism point of view how women feel forced to remove things such as body hair etc. Public analysis Research into fashion designers / pieces.

What approach(es) will you take  and what processes, methods, materials and  tools  are to be involved in research into your practice?

Data Collection Feminism In relation to ‘What factors could disrupt your creative practice’ = The reluctance to give bodily fluids / hair/ nails etc. Empirical Investigation

What preparation or investigations do you need to undertake for your creative practice to take place?

Public reaction to my jewellery interviews or Survey (what is disgusting? What is most disgusting? Why is it disgusting? How does it make you feel?) Why are women supposed to be ‘clean’ (Kristeva) Asking modern day women’s views on cleanliness and bodily functions. Comparing and contrasting texts on ‘disgust’ from different time periods. Collecting more bodily products. Research on how to produce more bodily products (how the body works.)

What research do you need to undertake regarding who your creativity is for?

How to write in a feminist context. My work does challenge existing knowledge of jewellery art greatly as there isn’t much wrote on it. My work is for scholars and pupils – people with an interest in jewellery and fashion art / adornment / body art / body products as art / feminism / modern influences e.g advertising and products / gender differences. My ‘tone of voice’ much change to a more intellectual way of speaking, ensuring I understand certain words when speaking. Could collaborate with other people studying the same topics or even show the differences in researching from a male point of view and get a man to do the same experiments as me. (gender differences and gender influence.)

Primary Sources of Information

1.     Explanation: Questionnaire / Survey
Information: Conduct a questionnaire or survey to find out what is classed as disgusting – it will be interesting to include other things to contrast between bodily functions to find out if they are classed as more disgusting. I will include things such as age and gender to find contrasts between them. The most interesting views for me will the ones of the modern woman (ages 18-25.)

2.     Explanation: Interview with fashion or jewellery designer

Information: When Patrick Ian Hartley did an artist talk at Leeds College of Art I asked him if I could send him a few questions to help with my dissertation – he saod yes and to be adamant with the emails because he is busy. I will take the opportunity and email him when | have decided on my questions. I would like to have an insight to what a working artist’s view would be on the abject and disgust. Hartley’s work tiptoes around the subject of BDSM and bondage – his face corsets distort the face into something that would be a consumerists dream but in reality the image is a shocking and revolting sight.

3.     Explanation: Record public spontaneous reactions

I have noticed throughout working with bodily product that people will often comment on the disgusting nature of my projects. I think it would be interesting to take account of these spontaneous outburst – this information will be different to the questionnaire / survey way of research as people have time to think about the questions in a written question, when they are face to face with something disgusting they cannot hold back emotion or feeling.

Secondary Sources of Information
1.	http://www.klimt02.net - A Website that offers space of knowledge information, debates and exchanges inside the context of contemporary jewellery.
2.	On Jewellery; A compendium of international contemporary art jewellery – Liesbeth den Besten “An indiscpensible handbook of international contemporary art jewellery, introducing its tendencies and role from the late 19602 to today within the context of current trends in art and society.”
3.	Disgust; Theory and History of a Strong Sensation – Winfried Mennighaus “Winfried Mennighaus provides a comprehensive account of the significance of this forceful emotion in philosophy, aesthetics, literature, the arts, psychoanalysis and theory of culture from the eighteenth century.
4.	The Anatomy of Disgust - William Miller “Miller details our anxious relation to basic life processes; eating, excreting, fornicating, decaying and dying. But disgust pushes beyond the flesh to vivify the larger social order with the idiom it commandeers from sights, smells, tastes, feels and sounds of fleshly physicality.”
5.	Unexpected Pleasures; Art and Design of Contemporary Jewellery – Susan Cohn Published on the occasion of the Exhibition, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.
6.	Powers of Horror; An Essay on Abjection -(Feminist POV of oppression through cleanliness etc.)

Perceived problems or difficulties:

I will have to ask for the consent of the pupil due to the nature of the materials that are used in my work – I will inform them of what they are touching wher it came from etc. I understand that some of the work can be seen as offensive and I will deal with any criticism in a justified manner. I will be choosing to include anyone under the age of 16 in my studies. To ensure I do not come to any trouble in creating my pieces I will start to collect materials as soon as possible.