“The Unclean” is a pop-up exhibition of a sculptural installation work by Goldmark artist Gwynn Getto. The exhibition is on display in the Goldmark Artists’ Showcase through 3/13, with a closing reception on Sunday, 3/13, from 1.00 - 3.00pm.

This installation is part of a series, Persistence of Tradition, that explores how ancient definitions of individual elements of the female/male difference came to be translated into superiority and inferiority of gender— and in what ways those translations still affect thought and practice in today’s societies— even in America.

The objective of my work is to plant seeds that will encourage viewers to become participants in the conversation—to contemplate the issues; to determine what problems they do or don’t see in the issues; to explore solutions when needed and to come to understand what it means for them to choose to be or not to be part of those solutions.

Vaginal bleeding, e.g., menstrual and postpartum, has been the most universally utilized justification for restricting women and girls from activities and locations since prehistory –and for convincing them that their gender difference has made them lesser.

As if menses in and of itself isn’t inconvenient enough it is still used as an excuse to ban, restrict and exclude millions of women and children globally-- both privately and publicly.

In the 21 st Century, menstrual taboos and restrictions persist in cultures throughout the world and in branches of five of the six largest global religions. Additionally, millions of women and girls do not have access to the means to manage their periods with dignity.

Ongoing conversations on the internet continue to reveal the anxiety, confusion exclusion, and shame young women are currently experiencing due to menstruation restrictions and stigma that are affecting them personally.

-Gwynn Getto