Material Explorations

2/8/2018

I am exploring the Period Poverty and its relationship to general poverty...Lack...Absence...Without.
Historically women made their own sanitary ware from fabric and absorbent materials. Menstruation is a taboo subject in India and across the African continent, with women being ostracised during their period. Reusable sanitary wear enable these women to combat the stigma and gain back some control. In wealthier countries handmade sanitary wear is a growing trend, both to save money and reduce landfill waste.

A collection of material experiments explore having to manage without sanitary protection – using a range of fabrics, including cotton wool, linen and fleece.

Working from the stained fibres, this video explores the flow of blood (replaced with ink) on water. At this stage in the project I wanted to explore a range of ideas, from the literal soiled sanitary wear to something more abstract.
RG

5 Comments

Maija

2/9/2018 12:50:25 pm

Love the impression of specimens of research ... material difference.

May I challenge you? I offer these reflection questions.

What is the consensus? The viewpoint against which you feel compelled to dissent?

How does your individual experience of menstruation and blood politics inform your perspective and approach?

Red is so visceral. Here is one of my reflections on red:
http://www.chapelartsstudios.co.uk/notebooks/maijas-notebook/knowledge-and-material

Rosina Godwin

2/12/2018 08:56:10 pm

Hello Maija
Many thanks for the link – red is such a fascinating colour, representing revolution, war, love and anger, and so present in children’s fairytales.

I am dissenting against the viewpoint – the UK likes to present itself to the world as a wealthy and prosperous country (which it is to a certain extent). However, I feel there is an ever widening gap between the rich and the poor, with more people needing to use Food Banks, and homeless people on the streets. While I am focusing on Period Poverty, the work is just as much about general poverty - the stigma surrounding it, isolation and feeling of entrapment.

I chose to explore Period Poverty, as although a lot of progress has been made the UK – it still has some social taboos, and is a topic likely to be overlooked. Menstruation evokes the disgust mechanism in many people, so I am using it to express my own disgust at a society that ignores the plight and suffering of certain sectors of the population.

Best wishes
Rosina

Sarah from Block_III

2/10/2018 11:07:18 am

Hi Rosina,
I've always been fascinated by the effect of blood in water. Is there any way you could perform this or investigate further using blood, as it could react very differently to the ink. The colour could perhaps also be more visceral. I once collected some pig's blood from a local butcher to use in my work, however this was a long time ago and not sure if this is still possible! Maybe collecting your own menstrual blood is the answer? Is there another way of framing the video to show the blood entering and reacting with the water? ie, from above to rid the image of the container? Just some thoughts. Over to you. Sarah.

Rosina Godwin

2/11/2018 09:01:33 pm

Hi Sarah
I totally agree - the ink was a starting point, but it is too red, and doesn't flow like menstrual blood. It is something I could develop for a future project.

Best wishes
Rosina

Sarah Misselbrook

2/12/2018 02:45:47 pm

Excellent. I really like the idea that you could become incredibly scientific about the tests you do and all the great 'fibre' experiments. Almost mirroring the tests that must take place with the products already in labs for usability/hygiene reasons, however you're skewing the research and exploiting the visual imagery to comment on period poverty and revealing a taboo subject. Sarah :)

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