Woman uses period blood In Art work

Adapted from HuffingtonPost

Chilean artist Carina Úbeda has saved five years’ worth of her own menstrual blood... for the sake of art. "I can not wear pads because they trigger an allergic reaction," Úbeda explained to Soy Chile. Instead of tossing her sanitary cloths aside, she decided to save the soiled fabric until inspiration struck.

For her current exhibition at the Center of Culture and Health in Quillota, Chile, entitled "Cloths," the artist put 90 used sanitary rags on display, each embroidered with words like "destroyed" and "production." Each embroidered rag is placed in an embroidery hoop and hung up, surrounded by dangling rotten apples symbolizing ovulation.

While some were disgusted by Úbeda's choice of material, others saw poignancy in the medium. "Male blood is celebrated for being brave while ours is a shame," one visitor told the Daily Mail. "This won't change until we release our body as the first stage of political struggle."

It's been over 40 years since Judy Chicago introduced "Menstruation Bathroom" (1972), a piece where used tampons were displayed inside a trash can, and 38 years since Carolee Schneemann read from a long sheet of paper she pulled out of her vagina in the feminist performance piece, "Interior Scroll," but a woman's blood can still shake up the gallery scene even today.

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