Yale Pulls Student's 'Abortion Art' Project From Exhibit Opening

FoxNews.com ^ | April 22, 2008 | Catherine Donaldson-Evans

[14erClimb]

Yale University followed through on its warning Tuesday and banned a student's "abortion art" project from the opening of a campus exhibit after she continued to deny that she fabricated shocking stories of multiple inseminations and self-induced miscarriages.

Senior Aliza Shvarts' controversial piece still could be included in the student show, which runs through May 1, Yale officials indicated.

"Her exhibit is not on display, but it's unresolved as to whether it will be," said Yale spokesman Tom Conroy, suggesting discussions were in progress between the university and Shvarts.

Shvarts kept mum through the weekend and early this week despite the school's calls for her to confess that she lied in describing how she constructed the project. She didn't respond to repeated calls or e-mails requesting comment.

Yale officials warned that unless the art major agreed to say in writing that she hadn't told the truth about artificially inseminating herself and then taking herbal drugs to try to induce miscarriages, they'd yank her piece from the student exhibit, which opened Tuesday morning and closes May 1.

"In this case, we will not permit her to install the project unless she submits a clear and unambiguous written statement that her installation is a work of fiction: that she did not try to inseminate herself and induce miscarriages, and that no human blood will be physically displayed in her installation," Yale College Dean Peter Salovey said in a statement released Monday.

[14erClimb]

All I have to say is, WTF?

[Da Coyote]

Watch what Yale’s high standards will demand for punishment of this looser-ess: She’l get either nothing or nothing.

[donna]

Why pull it - it’s everything Yale stands for.

[MrB]

I’m saying she did this. It was not a hoax. And even the most vehement liberal leftie knows that this is totally abhorrent.

We all have the same sense of right and wrong written into our souls, but some are better at suppressing it.

This act simply pushes past the barriers that most people have built up.

And, there are those that think this is perfectly OK, but know that it is so over the top that it will hurt their “pro-choice” stance.

[workerbee]

Yale characterized the young woman as a performance artist.

That's academia code word for psychopath.

[Aria]

Ditto to what you said.

Equally repulsive is that this is called “ART”.

Murder = art. Now that’s the new frontier of “ART”.

[marinamuffy]

So are they saying that she just has to say (hint, hint, wink) that it wasn't true and then the "art" can be included?

[chrisser]

Now that’s the new frontier of “ART”.

Now that "artists" have "explored" the entire gamut between nothing and everything to the point of exhaustion, can we get back to art being beautiful, inspiring, and requiring a modicum of ability?

[Hyzenthlay]

In other words, if it’s real, then they won’t display it... at least somebody has some tiny bit of standards left in the world.

[Billthedrill]

I think you're correct about "new frontier." If the only purpose of art is to shock, one finds pretty quickly that stronger and stronger stimuli are needed to produce the desired result. Flinging poop at a canvas used to do it; now nobody really cares. What is left to shock, short of actually killing someone? This is as close as you can get. For some of us it's already crossing the line. That is deliberate.

Personally I still don't think she did it. The denial is part of the act. But I could be wrong.

[MrB]

I really don’t think that it’s a matter of “standards” at all.

They just know that this is so repulsive that it hurts the pro-choice movement.

[Aquinasfan]

Why pull it - it’s everything Yale stands for.

Confusing, isn't it? Would the exhibit have been permitted if she had actually inseminated herself and induced abortions? Inquiring minds want to know.

[TChad]

She’l get either nothing or nothing.

I'm not so sure. If this stunt doesn't get her job offers from Planned Parenthood, it should at least put her on the fast track for a doctorate in Women's Studies.

I am starting to think of her as Miss Yale.

Miss Yale of 2008

[PennsylvaniaMom]

Shvarts kept mum...

Ahh...no mum there...that what all of those 'herbs' made her not be. Actually, real or hoax, she is one sick puppy and needs massive amounts of therapy and non-herbals meds to function in the real world. Yale would be wise get gf some help...

[MurryMom]

The best anti-abortion art I have seen recently is the film "Four Months, Three Weeks, and Two Days", made in Romania. The story is about 2 college roomates, one pregnant and the other her caregiver for an abortion to be performed in a cheap hotel. The women lack sufficient funds to pay the abortionist, so the roomate makes a deal with him. Warning for gory, stomach churning scenes especially during and after the abortion.

High school students taking abstinence classes ought to be required to view "Four Months, Three Weeks, and Two Days". Any unwed woman who becomes pregnant after viewing this film deserves to be committed to a mental institution.

[Billthedrill]

Howdy, MM! Good to see ya. ;-)

[Sacajaweau]

Why do most aborted pregnancies occur??? Because it’s an option.

[MrB]

Wow, MM, didn’t think you’d be in favor of abstinence...

welcome back.

[tutstar]

gnip...

[PennsylvaniaMom]

Hey there MM...’Happy PA Primary Day’ to you!!! Good seeing you on a thread :)