July 15, 2014
Japanese artist Megumi Igarashi (42) was arrested on Monday for selling 3D printable data of her own genitals, announced Tokyo Metropolitan Police. Igarashi was accused of distribution of obscene material electronically - the design files are said to have been distributed in March to a 30-year-old man in Kagawa Prefecture who could produce a model of her genitals.
Igarashi has reportedly denied the allegations. "I do not acknowledge that (the work) is an obscenity," she told police.
Igarashi, who works under the name Rokudenashi-ko (Good-for-nothing girl), is raising funds to build a boat based on 3D modeling data of her own vagina. According to report, she has collected approximately one million yen from 32 donors nationwide.
"As an artist, I focus on my own vagina as the motif for my art. My work is against discriminative/ignorant treatment of the vagina." notes Igarashi.
Igarashi has previously made a vagina kayak, a vagina lampshade, a remote-controlled vagina car, vagina accessories, a vagina smartphone case etc.
From Igarashi's Web site:
I make art pieces with my vagina, which I would rather call Manko(MK).
I thought it was just funny to decorate my vagina and make into a diorama,
but I was very surprised to see how upset people get when they see my works or even hear me say the word Manko.
Even when a TV station asked me to be on their show, they wouldn't dare let me say DECO-MAN because "MAN" is from the taboo word "Manko".
Why did I start making these kind of art pieces?
It's because I had never seen the vagina of others and I was too self-conscious of mine.
I did not know what a vagina should look like at the same time, so I thought mine was abnormal. Manko and vagina, have been such a taboo in Japanese society.
Penis, on the other hand, has been used in illustrations and has become a part of pop culture. But vagina has never been so cute.
Vagina has been thought to be obscene because its been overly hidden; although it is just a part of a woman's body.
An internet petition has already been set up to protest the charges, asking for immediate release of the artist. But if she will be really prosecuted, is still unknown. Some artists expressed concern about this issue, if this is a problem, will the definition of obscene material in Japan be fundamentally changed?
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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More great demonstrations of the Police State trying to control information.
tired wrote at 7/16/2014 2:18:59 AM:
re: "ignorant treatment of the vagina". I realize it's probably a translator's fault, but it's actually her vulva that seems to be the topic here.
Perry Engel wrote at 7/15/2014 5:54:05 PM:
I particularly like the model where they are exploring the cave.
Dr Shame wrote at 7/15/2014 5:51:15 PM:
Shapeways wouldn't let you print vagina too.
manko wrote at 7/15/2014 1:33:26 PM:
She sounds like a fun girl.
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