THE ARTIST
Vanessa Tiegs
Her given name translates to Spirit of Venus. Vanessa is an alternate spelling of Venus while Tiegs, the anagram of Geist, means ghost spirit in German.
Why did the artist use the forbidden medium?
"Allow me to quote Marshall McLuhan, 'the medium is the message.' Using red paint is not an option in creating Menstrala."
The artist was introduced as a modern-day renaissance woman by her radio interviewer in 2009.
She became a professional ballerina as the youngest corp de ballet member of the Zurich Ballet by the age of 15, performing on several world famous stages with Rudolf Nureyev.
She has also been an accomplished ballet coach, classical pianist, poet, architectural model builder, calligrapher, designer, technical cycle analyst, and licensed Getty Images photographer. She holds a Phi Beta Kappa Cum Laude Bachelor of Arts degree from Smith College and a Masters Degree.
The First Menstrala, 2000
Silverfish Spirits was painted in September 2000. The artist went on to create 88 Menstrala, completing her collection by 2003.
The Phoenix Rising
Galaxy Crossing along with other Menstrala paintings appeared in international documentary films produced in the early years of the turn of the millennium:
Period: The End of Menstruation?
Moon Inside You
A Flowering Tree
Displayed On Board USS Kitty Hawk
In the Persian Gulf:
As part of a social art experiment by a Navy crew member, prints of Timandra & Bulis were twice displayed on board the USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier in 2003.
A Rock'n Art Scene
In 2009, rock star Dave Navarro, guitarist from Jane's Addiction and The Red Hot Chili Pepper Band, visited the artist's San Francisco studio where they filmed an art collab.
The Astro-Mythic Menstrala Series:
Depicting Star Stories from Her Natal Horoscope
The Three Morai:
Klotho, Lachesis, Atropos (Weaver, Measurer, Cutter)
Poetry
"Awakening within the stilled collective pool of human tears, Euphoria rises with Sophia under the veil of vast unconsciousness, Darkness doesn't sleep. Death doesn't die. They weave a colorful tapestry together behind our glaring sun. Their future is Mother memory, an infinite spiral of transformation stirring in pure love and glowing with her smile." Amsterdam, September 1999
The Decoder: Menstrual Blood Turned to Gold
The artist’s last Menstrala, No. 88, painted in 2003 and entitled The Decoder, features her menstrual blood conclusively turned into the color of gold.
Contact
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