Australia: Vagina Knitting Not Everyone’s Taste in Art · Global Voices
Kevin Rennie

[WARNING: This post contains content and images that may offend.]
Casting Off My Womb
Image courtesy: Casey Jenkins. Photographer Tarz McDonald.
Based on some reactions in Australia and overseas, it is a fair bet that some readers will be offended, even outraged, by this story. The national broadcaster, the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), aired a radio item Is Vaginal knitting art? on 9 December 2013. It concerned a performance art work by Australian Casey Jenkins entitled Casting Off My Womb. She is spending four weeks knitting wool from inside her vagina. SBS2 (Special Broadcasting Service), a TV station that is also government owned, had shown a video a couple of weeks earlier.
Online reaction was swift. Comments on the ABC program website Books & Arts Daily were strongly divided about whether it was art and its suitability. Lux Dentata was very positive:
Of course this is art.
It is creation with a message. If that is not art, what is?
I don't understand people's disgust about inserting wool into your vagina. What do you think a tampon is? Cotton, wool, tomato, tomata…
Well done Casey, It's awesome.
Stan Osmelak’s message was brief but multi-pronged:
1st World self-indulgent twaddle
After suggesting the need for “psychological or psychiatric intervention”, Sue took aim at the messenger:
This sort of topic is also providing fantastic ammunition to the Federal Government that the ABC is not relevant and to cut funding or close it down. For goodness sake ABC – get real.
‘Casting Off’ Wool
Image courtesy: Casey Jenkins. Photographer Leanne Waterhouse
Meanwhile, twitter had numerous reactions in Australia including:
Vaginal Knitting (The Feed) I'm not sure anyone needs to see this but my jaw is still on the floor. #Vagina http://t.co/HmFgxLunZp
— Cori (@Cori_Cori_Cori) December 4, 2013
Wow some people are seriously disturbed @TheFeedSBS2 #VaginaKnitting http://t.co/BW0d8F1Bwa
— Craig Tranter (@craigtranter) December 4, 2013
As the hashtag #vaginaknitting clearly shows, there was a global eruption on twitter as well.
In fact, it was too viral for some. ‘American-Australian geek’ Kris Howard sought relief:
The only thing worse than 15 people sending me graffiti knitting links is 15 people sending me vagina knitting links. STOP IT I BEG YOU.
— Kris Howard (@web_goddess) December 3, 2013