The Abject: The Menstruant, Impurity and Purity in Feminist-Jewish Art

History and Theory, Bezalel // Issue No. 22 – On the Sensual in Art, September 2011
By David Sperber

In the early seventies, feminist artists were interested in menstrual blood as part of a visual language dealing with bodily emissions. Contemporary Jewish art continues this interest by engaging with the Jewish laws of “Nidda” – the rituals of purity and impurity of the menstruation. This article will study the relationship between current aspects of Jewish-religious art and feminist art from the seventies and demonstrate the similarities and connections between them as seen through a number of works of art.

Read the full article in Hebrew here.