The Phoenix Rises
Reframing Humanity's
Oldest Taboo
Menstrala is the Official Name of the Visual Arts Movement
Academically Recognized for Advocating Valuable Changes
for Next Generations of Menstruating Women
Why create art with this medium?
"The Medium Is The Message"
Marshall McLuhan
Since the origin of the taboo, the medium has always held the natural power to bring changes to human consciousness.
Forbidden to be seen in society, the medium conveys a dangerous stigma. Some believe that merely looking at menstrual blood is harmful. Consequently, menstruating women deal with this least understood taboo in various ways.
Menstrala are academically recognized today, two decades after the original collection of 88 paintings was published online in 2000 by Vanessa Tiegs. The artworks portray how the experience of bleeding each month shapes the menstruant's outlook on herself and her life. The art movement also exposes society's attitude towards menstrual blood.
Menstrala Art Collections Raise Funds for Women's Causes
Menstrala invoke emotional reactions, which can redirect a critical awareness to women's issues such as: economic relief to underprivileged girls (menstrual poverty); educational reform in schools; cultural validation of girls' first rite of passage; advocating medical solutions for health problems caused by menstruation and menopause; and, proposing mindful menstrual practices.
My Thoughts Have Wings
Setting The Stage for Expressing Emotion Through Visual Art
Since 2000, Menstrala have been setting the stage for a movement in which girls can deflect the shame in bleeding and define their sexuality, feminine identity and menstrual experience. Now they can choose to contribute their menstrual paintings to the academically accepted visual arts movement.
Rebalancing Outdated Values
Placing a value on menstruation through Menstrala rebalances the destructive programming honed on girls. The art movement brings awareness to the need for educational health reforms, such as CeMCOR's Endowment Fund. Since its inception in 2002, The Centre for Menstrual Cycle & Ovulation Research at the University of British Columbia promotes new medical standards in women's health.
Silverfish Spirits, painted in September 2000, is the genesis of the Menstrala collection of 88 artworks.
Numerous Menstrala have appeared in several film productions:
Period: The End of Menstruation
Moon Inside You
A Flowering Tree
The Golden Culmination Flower of the Four Seasons
Memes
What began as an online journal of "Pain-Things," unwittingly ignited a swarm of memes on Metafilter.com within months of their first publication on The Spiraling Moon LiveJournal.
Served to the Vatican
The jpeg of October Flight, Menstrala No. 42, was requested and served to the Vatican's website domain on November 9, 2002.
The 1st International Menstrala Competition, 2014
Over 100 Submissions Entered
In 2014, Vanessa Tiegs was invited to serve as a judge in the first international Menstrala painting competition organized by a University in Mexico. Increasing numbers of artists around the world have begun choosing to address menstruation visually.
Copyright © 2024 Vanessa Tiegs. All rights reserved. Linking to the digital images presented on this website is freely permitted. However, commercial usage of the artworks requires a licensing fee for any one time usage and a royalty fee for multiple usage in derivative works. Exceptions to the fees may apply to academic and educational unedited usages with written permission from the artist, Vanessa Tiegs.
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