Lucy Installation

Dr. J. Marion Sims, the “father of modern gynecology,” bought and rented slaves and performed experiments on their vaginas, in an attempt to find a cure for the vesico-vaginal fistula. Sims experimented on at least ten female slaves, choosing not to provide anesthesia, even though it had recently become available. In Sims’ autobiography, he revealed the names of three of the women he experimented on: Anarcha, Lucy, and Betsey. Anarcha was seventeen years old when she gave birth to her first child and developed a fistula. Sims operated on her 30 different times without anesthesia. An accompanying performance element to this work includes checking out old obstetrics textbooks from medical libraries through inter-library loan. I return every book that fails to mention Anarcha, Lucy or Betsey, with a typed insert, which explains the truth about Sim’s work. Materials: grosgrain ribbon, metallic embroidery floss, velvet and vintage obstetrics textbook

Installation:Fabric on Soft (Yarn, Cotton, Fabric)

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:40 W x 16 H x 2 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.