Merkin Art: A Suite of Pussies
Sarah A. Greene
Pussy
Vagina
Yoni
The Three Sisters
Working notes
And the merkins... This is a bit of a longer story. It begins with my housemate whose website www.yonibeauty.com explains where she is coming from. She got a call for artists to participate in a local art show MMMMM is for Merkin: "a celebration of the hair down there" and Planned Parenthood fundraiser. I loved the idea and was inspired by it all. I decided to make a mold of my lady bits as I make bellycasts for pregnant women and paint them so I had the materials handy. And so the self-discovery began. I had an idea of what I wanted to do. It was going to be sacred and deep; prayerful and fierce. So, when the glitter glue came out, I was a bit surprised. So typical of me: dedication to depth yet always a layer of sparkle on top. So, Pussy was born: the cosmic sparkle pony. I had to laugh and remember what good medicine it is to be playful and not take myself so seriously. My housemate suggested I make another. She also happens to be a high school art teacher so her suggestions tend to land for me. The second one was super sensual. Applying the plaster gauze led to hours of me fucking myself (can I say that here?) and honoring the highly sexually charged part of my being. The one that is heartfelt but wants attention and pleasure pleasure pleasure. Yes, my friends, Vagina the golden showgirl just can't get enough. She is insatiable and fucking fantastic. What a joy it was to befriend her. Finally, it came time to make the third one. The show allowed for three entries per artist and since I had two and was surprised and delighted by the outcomes, I figured "why not?" In applying the plaster for this one, I was comfortably splayed on my kitchen floor in a feeling of spacious surrender. When considering what I was going to use for decoration, my minds eye immediately saw the buddha finding its home in this cave. This particular buddha has been on every altar on every retreat or sacred experience I have participated in over the last decade. Oh yeah, shit was getting sacred over here. The rest of the items also had a lot of meaning and significance in similar ways. And what yoni is not complete unless painted with moon blood? (Also, making moontime a sacred and ritualized time has become a practice of mine over the last few months, which I highly suggest to all bleeding women. Such a wonderful opportunity to create a space to let go of what no longer serves and invite in connection to our bodies and the earth in deeply nourishing ways...But that's a different story)... So, there they were: The Three Sisters had been living in my body and birthed themselves so that I could know them and love them for each of their unique selves. I like to think that this might inspire others to contact and know and come into right relationship with their sex as the experience of creating them provided me. It was so surprising and exactly why I love the creative process.
About the author
Sarah A. Greene is an artist whose work most often brings forth gorgeous Mandalas (see "Inspiration"), but also sometimes travels further south.