Visual artist Heather Ault launched a new pro-choice arts activism to push back against a nasty campaign of anti-women harassers. The antis get their jollies at this time of the year by swarming women's reproductive health centers and abortion clinics for 40 days -- Ault calls it "the pro-life movement's occupation."This obnoxious harassment of women and their health care providers from Feb. 17 to March 28 is coordinated by a Texas organization known as "40 Days for Life," which tries to present a pleasant front, but has at its core people who are not only anti-abortion, but anti-contraception. Yep, that's the truth.
Ault is cleverly using her art to challenge their premise and unmask their actions, while providing solace to their targets. Her stylishly-designed visual activism, which she calls "4000 Years for Choice," shows the extremism of the antis -- and their ignorance, as well.
Ault created delightful, visually acute and intellectually sharp posters that depict the long history and social acceptance of contraception and abortion and that support women's right to choose. Every week, she sends a new image in the form of a postcard to the 165 clinics in 40 states that are targeted by the antis, and then posts the image online.
Each graphic also has incisive text integrated into it. The text for the Week Two Poster of "Discover Acaci" (pictured above) says:
The graphic for Week Four, "Love Silphium," has the text (excerpt):In 1500 BCE, The Ebers Papyrus, an Egyptian medical tablet, listed a contraceptive plug made from an acacia plant, honey, and lint. The leaves of the acacia plant contain a lactic acid similar to modern spermicides.
In ancient times, a northern colony in Africa called Cyrenne exported large amounts of the silphium plant ... prized as a contraceptive and abortive herb .... Silphium’s heart-shaped seed was pictured on the coins of Cyrenne. It was said to be a “gift from Apollo and worth its weight in silver!”Ault is especially equipped to engineer this artistic venture. She has dedicated her work to expressions of choice, as previously described in Visual Artist Heather Ault Has Designs on Birth Control on this blog.
Other topics covered so far in "4000 Years" are "Celebrate Roe!" "Honor Avicenna!" and "Praise Madame Restelle!" A Facebook fan page for "4000 Years for Choice" is also following the releases.
Responses have been powerful. “I absolutely love your campaign! It is so refreshing to see some positive action in the abortion debate.” – Eleanor, Georgia. “I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate the revolutionary work that you are doing with this project." – Sarah, Texas. “This is absolutely fabulous! … What I would really like to do it to plaster the walls of the Missouri capitol with your posters!” – Becky, Missouri.
I'd like to challenge reporters at every one of these "40 Days" targets (see map) to do the unheard story of Heather Ault's creative and peaceful support for reproductive freedom.
And when they do, they might take a closer look at "40 Days for Life," whose "national campaign director" formerly worked for the ultra-right anti-contraception group, American Life League in a project that aimed to disrupt Planned Parenthood clinics. And one good question (reporters - get documentation): where does "40 Days," heavily touted by Focus on the Family and other right-wing groups, get its money? On its website, "40 Days" says that it is organized as a nonprofit, but it's not listed as such with the IRS, or with the nonprofit search site, Guidestar, or with Texas nonprofit listings. Hmm. Unusually for a "nonprofit," its URL is, curiously, a "com" and not a "org." And that's only a little corner of what's wrong with this group.
BUT, if you want to support Heather Ault's work -- highly recommended -- you can buy a poster of her work for $20 -- a great deal, and it's a positive way to join in fighting back.
Poster by Cindy Cooper
Pictured above: "Discover Acaci" poster by Heather Ault
Posts
