The Great Wall of Vagina: Amazon.co.uk: Jamie McCartney: Books

Product Description

Changing female body perception through art... Female genitalia have long been a source of fascination, recently of celebration but generally of confusion. Step in British artist Jamie McCartney who has created a monumental wall sculpture from plaster casts of 400 women's vulvas. Their privates have gone public and in this book over a quarter of them tell you why. Nine metres long and five years in the making, The Great Wall of Vagina isn t just sensation, it is art with a social conscience. For many women their genital appearance is a source of anxiety, which has led to a massive increase in cosmetic labial surgeries. This book is intended to educate people about what normal women really look like, down there, and ease that unnecessary anxiety. In The Introduction the artist explains how and why he created this epic sculpture with step-by-step photos of the process. From its conception to the final touches he discusses the inspiration and ideas behind it as well as putting it in the context of his other artworks. In the Models' Accounts over 100 of the women who posed for the casts explain in their own words why they did it and what it was like. Witty, poetic, erotic, harrowing, profound and emotional these are their stories. Their age range is from 18 to 76. Included are mothers and daughters, identical twins, transgendered men and women as well as a woman pre and post her first vaginal birth and another women pre and post labiaplasty. There are also casts of women which highlight some distressing conditions. In The Casts all 400 vagina casts are shown life size with the more unusual ones highlighted. Explanations written by the project's sexual health adviser accompany these. The artist hopes to educate and enlighten as well as address some of the stigmas and misconceptions that are commonplace. Although revealing, this is not erotic art. You can stare without shame but in wonder and appreciation of these women who bared all for the sake of art.

About the Author

First time author, Jamie McCartney, is the sculptor who created The Great Wall of Vagina. He is a professional artist who shuns any closer definition. I make things, he says prosaically. This mock humility belies an engaging, some would say eccentric, character. Born into London's swinging sixties to an artist mother and an engineer father, these influences are clear in his anarchy, creativity and precision. A degree in Experimental Studio Art, from Hartford Art School in the USA, started Jamie on a non-traditional path. A career in props, models and special effects in the film industry then honed those skills. He now employs these methods in tandem with his fine art training to produce unusual and provocative work. If I can think of it I can make, he says and that willingness to follow his imagination shows itself clearly. Founder of Artshole and The Sussex Artists Club, Jamie is fully involved in the local art community. He has frequently been a juror in art competitions and has written about public art for Arty and other magazines, under the monikers of Sculpture Vulture and Critical-I. He passionately encourages artistic exploration and collaboration amongst his peers and both mentors and employs local artists at his busy studio. Jamie continues to work on large-scale, long-lead projects whilst also concentrating on gallery works that encompass sculptures, prints and experimental photography. A maverick in every sense he refuses to follow any well-trodden path, preferring instead to push the boundaries of what is possible and what is acceptable.

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

Inspiring, eye-opening - the ultimate coffee table conversation starter! 9 May 2012

By J. Riquez

Amazon Verified Purchase

I discovered Jamie's artwork via the C4 documentary the Perfect Vagina and the concept knocked me sideways. He brings with him an extraordinary background in bodycasting that the book explains as well what led him to create this particular work. There are lots of stories from some of the women who participated in the project, a gynaecologist who uses images of the Great Wall to help his patients to understand that 'normal' is not the same as 'standardized'. This blows me away, a doctor using art to educate his patients in body literacy. This is a beautiful, well realized book about a seminal, profound and life-changing artwork. And signed by the artist to boot!

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My first review 23 Sep 2011

By Honeybob

Although i have been ordering from Amazon (and relying on other people's reviews to make my selections) for years this is the first review that i've submitted. The reason why i've chosen this product to make my 'virgin' review(!) is that i was so impressed with both the product itself and the service recieved from Jamie, the book's author. The book arrived quickly, well within the time frame suggested by Amazon when i ordered and i was surprised and delighted to see that along with it being signed (which i had expected) i also recieved a nice handwritten note of thanks from Jamie. I was so excited to find this product and could hardly wait until it was delivered and when it arrived i wasn't disappointed. It is beautifully presented, containing lots of black and white photographs of the making of the Great Wall of Vagina and other similar pieces of art. There is a sizable section of 'stories' from some of the women involved in the project and the rest of the work is given over to the pictures of the moulds themselves. Even though i have only had this book a week there have already been two occasions when i have been able to refer to it with my children (a girl aged 11 and a boy aged 15) in answer to questions they have asked. It is not only a beautiful representation of the orginal piece of art but a wonderfully informative resource, something that i hope will empower my daughter to have pride in her body and to see its individual beauty which I believe was the original hope behind the project. Thank you so much Jamie, it's brill!!

A delightful eyeopener 20 July 2011

By Peter

As a male I was delighted that my wife agreed to take part in this fantastic piece of work and appears in the exibition and in the book, pleased to say it took me a while but I found the right picture. I truely thought I was a man of the world, however, this piece of work really goes to show how different vaginas really are. We both are very greatful to Jamie for his work and his professionism in putting this together. After the casting it seemed like it was the best talking point topic of the year and when casually asked "what did you do this afternoon?" my wife was truely proud to announce that she had a plaster cast made of her vagina. We were also surprised by the amount of interest and discussion it created.

The book is a delightful display of everything that is special to us.