{"id":17003,"date":"2017-09-09T15:18:36","date_gmt":"2017-09-09T13:18:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.femininemoments.dk\/blog\/?p=17003"},"modified":"2017-09-09T21:10:25","modified_gmt":"2017-09-09T19:10:25","slug":"toni-latour-100-things-to-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.femininemoments.dk\/blog\/toni-latour-100-things-to-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Toni Latour – 100 Things to Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Copyright
\nToni Latour, 100 Things to Life: Sperm Transportation Box, 2016-17, photography, 15×15\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cCertain narratives are told over and over, making some realities visible while erasing others.\u00a0This process is at the heart of political struggles over defining the canon and who gets to be part of the official story and who does not.<\/strong>\u201d<\/em> \u2013\u00a0Agigian, Baby Steps: How Lesbian Insemination is Changing the World<\/em><\/p>\n

Artist Statement by Toni Latour<\/h2>\n

Toni Latour: 100 Things to Life<\/em><\/a>\u00a0marks a time when queer and trans families are starting to become part of the \u201cofficial story\u201d.\u00a0We are making leaps and bounds in terms of legal rights and visibility.\u00a0Court challenges have recently resulted in QT2LGB families being able to list more than 2 parents on birth certificates.\u00a0\u00a0New rulings will also mean that trans men who have babies don\u2019t have to check off \u2018mother\u2019 on their birth registration.\u00a0Listing gender on official documents is currently being contested, and trans rights for children are being secured in school systems and civic spaces across the country.\u00a0These advancements are changing the definitions and recognitions of family to reflect our current world, making it more inclusive and expansive.\u00a0My project,\u00a0100 Things to Life<\/a><\/em>, is one story within this larger growing narrative.<\/p>\n

This new work documents my journey to pregnancy as a queer femme, and the resulting birth of my child, Francesca. From trail-blazing cross-country sperm shipments, to home inseminations, to facing discrimination at fertility clinics, to In vitro fertilization (IVF), the journey to pregnancy was a concerted effort with years of preparation, research, magic, and renegade actions.<\/p>\n

It took a dense network of people, from across 2 countries, to make this happen. Women at Fed-Ex Shipping in Toronto were cheering me on each month as a friend dropped off his sperm sample for deliver to me in Vancouver. The shipments were made in U.S. containers that were not allowed to be shipped to Canada \u2013 containers that were temporarily housed in a friend\u2019s aunt\u2019s vet freezer in Bellingham for me to pick up, before the whole process started. These boxes contained test yolk buffer \u2013 a substance that allows sperm to live for 24-48 hours on ice, being fed by a protein derived from chicken egg yolk. In this process, lab technicians were convinced to do tests that had never been done before. \u00a0And when home inseminations failed after 12 months of trying, IVF was next. Phase 2 included hormone injections, egg harvesting, sperm purchase, embryo creation, freezing, implantation, and finally, after a total of 16 months of trying, pregnancy. Experiencing both opposition, red tape, and full support, this journey was full of heartbreak, determination, and finally, success.<\/p>\n

\"Copyright
\nToni Latour, 100 Things to Life: Sperm Transportation Kit, 2016-17, photography, 15×15\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The first set of photographs document the over 100 objects and products that were used in my attempts to get pregnant.\u00a0They range from injectable hormones to fertility stones and tarot cards.\u00a0The second set of photos includes 15 images of bloodied underwear, 15 negative pregnancy tests, and 1 unstained pair, corresponding with a positive pregnancy test.\u00a0These 2 sets of images are joined by 2 life-size photos of myself, 8-months pregnant, and my 2-week old child. The portraits are meant to be installed on top of custom-made embryo wallpaper.\u00a0This wallpaper uses an image of a 5-day old embryo repeated in an ornate pattern.\u00a0This is a similar image to the one I saw live on a monitor just before the embryo was implanted by needle through my vaginal wall, into my uterus.\u00a0It was round and symmetrical and beautiful. I marveled at it.<\/p>\n

On May 30, 2016, my baby, Francesca, was born as the result of IVF.\u00a0I was 40 years old.\u00a0After growing 18 eggs in one month, with the aid of hormones, I had them retrieved, and with a microscopic needle, each one was injected with a single sperm (purchased through a U.S. sperm bank).\u00a0Of my embryos, 5 thrived, and 1 was chosen for implantation.\u00a0At 5 days old, Francesca was cryogenically frozen for one month before she was implanted in my uterus, and birthed through cesarean section over 9 months later.<\/p>\n

This work continues my exploration of the ways that queer and trans folks make family, and the science that allows such truly mind-blowing feats.\u00a0It reveals current advances in reproductive science underscored by the privilege of such access.\u00a0It pictures nearly obsessive efforts in the journey to parenthood. \u00a0Through personal narrative,\u00a0100 Things to Life<\/a><\/em>\u00a0contributes to larger conversations about family today.<\/p>\n

\"Copyright
\nToni Latour, 100 Things to Life: Woo Things, Cards and Candles and Books, 2016-17, photography, 15×15\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Copyright
\nToni Latour, 100 Things to Life: Menopur Injectable Hormone, 2016-17, photography, 15\u00d715\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Copyright
\nToni Latour, 100 Things to Life: Negative Pregnancy Test I, 2016-17, photography, 7\u00d715\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Copyright
\nToni Latour, 100 Things to Life: Bloody Underwear I, 2016-17, photography, 15×15\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Copyright
\nToni Latour, 100 Things to Life: White Underwear, 2016-17, photography, 15\u00d715\u201d
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Copyright
\nToni Latour, 100 Things to Life: Positive Pregnancy Test, 2016-17, photography, 7\u00d715\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Credits and thanks:<\/strong>
\nStudio photos shot by Belle Ancel<\/a> (concept and studio direction by Toni Latour)
\nUnderwear bloodied by Alice Frances \u2013 with sincere thanks.
\nAnd thanks to my friends and family, and James, who supported me through this long journey.\u00a0To Jeff and Cay for helping me every month for an entire year. \u00a0Thank you to those who came with me to doctor\u2019s appointments, and cross-border runs, and so many various procedures. To all my health and wellness practitioners.\u00a0Thank you for all the supportive hugs and words and notes and postcards and phone calls and texts and Facebook messages.\u00a0These things really helped.\u00a0And now, I have Francesca. The gift of my life. \u00a0With so many thanks.<\/em><\/p>\n

About Toni Latour<\/h2>\n

Toni Latour<\/a> is an East Vancouver queer feminist artist. She works in photography, installation, text-based practices, drawing, video, sound, public and performance art. Toni received her BFA from the University of Windsor in 1998 and her MFA from the University of Western Ontario in 2000. Since 1994 she has exhibited her work nationally and internationally in both solo and group shows and has received numerous grants and awards in support of her practice. She currently teaches at the University of the Fraser Valley in British Columbia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This new work documents my journey to pregnancy as a queer femme, and the resulting birth of my child, Francesca.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17005,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[405,1021,22],"tags":[1085],"class_list":["post-17003","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-artist-showcases","category-artists","category-photography","tag-toni-latour"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.femininemoments.dk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17003","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.femininemoments.dk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.femininemoments.dk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.femininemoments.dk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.femininemoments.dk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17003"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.femininemoments.dk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17003\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.femininemoments.dk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17005"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.femininemoments.dk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17003"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.femininemoments.dk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17003"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.femininemoments.dk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17003"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}