The menarches of art

Menstruation as a tool to make and destroy art

Abstract

This article analyzes and reflects on the main works of visual artists who have worked on the menstruation topic through history to rethink their cycling bodies and make menstrual injustice visible. The artistic proposals are explored from a menstruartivist perspective, as an analysis tool, not because the artists call themselves as such, but because they integrate menstruation, art and activism into their creative process. As well, it contributes to Eva Valadez Ángeles proposal of nourishing the concept of “menstruartivism” published in 2019, with the intention of sharing tools with other artists and craftswomen for their creations. This exercise of mapping and analyzing artists who work on the subject replies to the historical injustice of relegating women from art history, particularly those who address one of the oldest humanity’s taboos: menstruation.