Bare Reality - 100 Vaginas

Laura Dodsworth is an artist whose work I have been following since she did her first book about women's breasts.  I first heard of her through British Naturism and since, then I have been following her Bare Reality Page on Facebook.

Laura has released three books, all showing the raw nature of our most intimate parts.  I don't own any of the books myself yet (they are on my wishlist!) but here is a summary:

Bare Reality: 100 Women, Their Breasts, Their Stories* 100 women bravely share un-airbrushed photographs of their breasts alongside honest, courageous, powerful and humorous stories about their breasts and their lives. Women from all walks of life took part, aged from 19 to 101, sized AAA to K, from Buddhist nun to burlesque dancer. Their perspectives and experiences are revealing and profoundly moving. Intimate, visually refreshing, maybe even surprising, Bare Reality will make you reconsider how you think and feel about your own body, and those of the women in your life.

Manhood: The Bare Reality* 100 men bare all in a collection of photographs and interviews about manhood and 'manhood'. These days we are all less bound by gender and traditional roles, but is there more confusion about what being a man means? From veteran to vicar, from porn addict to prostate cancer survivor, men from all walks of life share honest reflections about their bodies, sexuality, relationships, fatherhood, work and health in this pioneering and unique book. Just as Bare Reality: 100 women, their breasts, their stories presented the un-airbrushed truth about breasts for women, Manhood: The Bare Reality shows us the spectrum of 'normal', revealing men's penises and bodies in all their diversity and glory, dispelling body image anxiety and myths. Sensitive and compassionate, Manhood will surprise you and reassure you. It may even make you reconsider what you think you know about men, their bodies and masculinity.

Womanhood: The Bare Reality* 100 women bare all in an empowering collection of photographs and interviews about Womanhood.

Vagina, vulva, lady garden, pussy, beaver, c**t, fanny… whatever you call it most women have no idea what's 'down there'. Culturally and personally, no body part inspires love and hate, fear and lust, worship and desecration in the same way.  From smooth Barbie dolls to internet porn, girls and women grow up with a very narrow view of what they should look like, even though in reality there is an enormous range. Womanhood departs from the 'ideal vagina' and presents the gentle un-airbrushed truth, allowing us to understand and celebrate our diversity.  For the first time, 100 brave and beautiful women reveal their bodies and stories on their own terms, talking about how they feel about pleasure, sex, pain, trauma, birth, motherhood, menstruation, menopause, gender, sexuality and simply being a woman.

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Recently there was a programme on Channel 4 about the making of the Womanhood Book, called 100 Vaginas.  It is described by Ch4 as "Documentary artist Laura Dodsworth photographs women and hears their intimate, shocking, moving, powerful or funny stories about how their vaginas have shaped their lives".  It is currently available on All4 and I would recommend everybody watch it.  (It does have some scenes of a sexual nature, so not suitable for children, but would be a good talking point for teenagers, imo.)

Despite being a naturist, the vulva is the one part of the body I have not seen lots of. Unlike breasts and penises, the vulva is not on display, and usually only gets shown in the most intimate of settings.

The women who have taken part in the book, and the documentary, are not exhibitionists, but normal women.  There are some interesting and disturbing issues that are touched on in the program, and having recently been irked by the Channel4 Dispatches program, I was pleased at how sensitively the various topics were broached.  The women featured include young and old, black and white, fat and thin, transgender and gender neutral/non-binary. The topics discussed include periods, virginity, masturbation, rape, FGM, childbirth, infertility, miscarriage, gynae cancer, sex and menopause.  Included are various statistics, for example 1 in 8 women suffer infertility; or 10 women are raped in England every hour.  Though there is nothing too graphic, I can imagine that some of this may be triggering for some women.  You are not alone, and please get help from friends, family, charities or professionals if you need it.  

I think this is a good program for everyone to watch, male or female (or non-binary).
When I finally get a copy of the book, I trust Laura that it will be just as good.