SOMArts Presents THE CREATIVE PROCESS: An IVF Living Art Piece Today

Today, June 8th, 8pm Marilee Talkington's THE CREATIVE PROCESS: An IVF Living Art Piece will be performed atat PUSH Fitness in a second public performance. This curated evening of performances celebrating "Femininity and ability to create" will also be live-streamed on USTREAM and will include aerial dancing, live music, beat poetry, martial arts, and Marilee performing a 10 character monologue about best practices to get pregnant. Performers featured are Keirsten Wingo (Aerial Chains), Ariel Mihic (acroyoga), Ali Wahl (Trapeze/hoop), True Medusa (long form improv), Kevin Clarke (Drag), Marilee Talkington (performance art & multimedia)) and others This show is open to the public and Pay what you can. http://thecreativeprocess8.eventbrite.com/

Talkington will inject herself throughout the city; June 5th at Exploratorium 8/8:3; June 7th at deYoung 8/8:30. She injected herself at the MOMA (6/1 6:30 pm). All of which will /have been be live-streamed. "I'm injecting myself in these public places as part social statement, part community outreach. But mostly because these places inspire me. I can't predict if this IVF process will work and I'll become pregnant. But I can control what I'm doing while trying. These museums and public places are filled with exquisite art that move me to my core. I want to express my own creative ability while steeping myself in the profound creations of others."

For more locations please watch twitter account/web site calendar www.marileetalkington.com to check exact times and locations

Marilee Talkington, the award-winning interdisciplinary artist and performer, latest work THE CREATIVE PROCESS: An IVF Living Art Piece beganon May 30th at SOMArts in San Francisco. In this ongoing courageous real-time Performance Art work Marilee brings forward an empowering, and radical exploration into the issues of conceiving life. In publicly performing the still taboo, deeply personal and subrosa process of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), THE CREATIVE PROCESS breaks ground in the realm of performance and social dialogue about IVF, and redefines the meaning of "Life as Art".

Encouraging transparency and demystification through baring her body and fertility journey, Marilee will become LIVING ART by literally taking her IVF hormone injections to the streets. This piece will take place over a 14 day period where every IVF injection will be visually accessible to the public and Live Streamed across the country on USTREAM. "There is so much isolation in this process. Even after 35 years of IVF procedures, people still have no idea what it truly involves and the intense highs and lows that women and couples go through. It's about time to break this silence and taking ownership over this process inherently filled with uncertainty."

On May 30th, 8 pm Marilee performed her first public injection at SOMArts as part of one of two full evening performance art pieces. During this performance, she unveiled her art installation inspired by a 1920's broken down hospital room, which is open to viewers for the duration of the two weeks From May 30th-June 12th as the hormone injections begin to affect Marilee's body, she will externalize her internal physical changes by transforming the old and distressed hospital installation into a vibrant and lush garden.

As part of this potentially paradigm shifting work, Marilee is extending a standing invitation to any other woman going through IVF injections to come meet her, either at the SOMArts installation, out in public, or online to do choreographed injections together. All information about where Marilee will be at what times each day will be available on her website, www.marileetalkington.com "I'm hoping to create an in person community of support and recognition for IVF patients. A community that feels fierce and fantastic!"

Curious what IVF involves? IVF requires women to do 10+ days of self-administered hormone injections 2-3 times per day. During these injections the eggs in the woman's ovaries ripen very quickly, and after 10 or so days the eggs are then retrieved in an intensely delicate procedure, fertilized with sperm, and implanted back into the woman's womb. With much luck, the woman will become pregnant. As women grow older, the chances of conceiving, even through IVF, drop dramatically (13% chance of conceiving for women over 40). So the tremendous emotional, physical and financial investment can result in either great joy or terrible sadness.