Mad Wombs
This is an ongoing series of small sculptures that are three-dimensional visualisations of the diagrams made by male physicians or artists in history. Very little was known about female anatomy, especially regarding reproduction, until relatively recently. Conception was misunderstood, and some far out theories were created, as well as wildly inaccurate drawings. Da Vinci's is probably the closest in this grouping. It was illegal and taboo to dissect cadavers, making it practically impossible to observe physical examples. I feel that this lack of knowledge of female reproductive health is linked to biases which prevail today, though less obviously, regarding an understanding of menstruation, sexuality, and pregnancy. Remember that many of women's errant behaviours were attributed to hysteria, or the mere fact that she had a womb.
Da Vinci: 1452-1519, Italy, artist, scientist, engineer, et al.
Guido da Vigevano: 1280-1349, Italy, physician and inventor
Reinier de Graaf: 1641-1673, Dutch, physician and anatomist, Graafian follicles, found in the ovary, are named after him
Jacopo Berengario da Carpi: 1460-1530, Italy, physician and anatomist
Severin Pineau: died 1690, French, gynaecologist, obstetrician, surgeon
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