Corpus Luteum: Attending The Seeding Body
January 2, 2023
The Wrecking of Something
1851 S. Westmoreland Ave.
Corpus Luteum: Attending the Seeding Body was a life drawing/sculpting workshop, an exploration of the aesthetic details and forms expressed by seed pods. By attuning to our plant relatives through careful observation exercises, we expanded upon our perception and experience of our own human bodies.
During this process-oriented workshop, we studied a collection of seed pods foraged locally by artist and co-facilitator Rosie Brand. Through drawing and sculpting in clay, we engaged in multi-sensory observation to explore the tactility of these more-than-human architectures. In the second half of our session, we built sculptural clay pods embedded with wildflower seeds to gift back to the land.
The name corpus luteum (yellow body) refers to the erupted ovarian sac that remains after the release of an egg during ovulation. Fundamentally transformed by its opening, the corpus luteum is a key actor in the continuation of the fertility cycle toward menses or pregnancy, becoming the primary hormone center for the duration of the luteal phase. In Corpus Luteum: Attending the Seeding Body, we looked to our plant relatives here in Tovaangar (the LA basin) meditating further on the form and function of yellow bodies across species. How do seed pods support new life, and what do we learn from these temporary vessels after their seeds are cast?
This workshop was a program of an ongoing performance and installation begun by artist Serena Caffrey entitled The Wrecking of Something, which explores themes of dissolution, transformation, and reclamation through clay, performance, and community dialogue.
