In the late 1970s, artist Jay Critchley began discovering plastic tampon applicators on the beaches near his home in Provincetown, MA. Initially unaware of their purpose, he incorporated these "beach whistles" into his found-art studio practice. Upon learning their use, Critchley began to consider the applicators not only in the context of his art but also in relation to his growing environmental concerns. This discovery led to the creation of Miss Tampon Liberty, a performance piece in which Critchley dresses in a gown made entirely of these found applicators.
Originally performed in his youth and later reprised as he entered his eighties, Miss Tampon Liberty traces the history of the "environmenstrual movement," performance art, and the complex interplay between plastics, the body, and time.
In this talk, Camilla Mørk will present her research on this significant eco-artwork, drawing on interviews with Critchley and placing it within an art historical framework.
Register for the event here, by March 10, 2025
Photo: Jo Hanley, 2019
Camilla Mørk is Associate Professor in History at the University of Agder, and Honorary Lecturer in Medicine at the University of Aberdeen, and in Art History at the University of St Andrews. Her first book was Cash Flow: The Businesses of Menstruation, and she is currently working on a project about how the witch trials are memorialized.