In December, the US Supreme Court engaged in oral arguments for Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a pivotal case concerning a 2018 Mississippi statute prohibiting abortions post-15 weeks of gestation. This case challenges the Roe v. Wade precedent, which safeguards abortion rights before fetal viability, typically around 22 to 24 weeks. With the Supreme Court’s conservative majority likely to uphold the Mississippi law, the potential overturn of the historic 1973 ruling looms, allowing states unrestricted control over reproductive rights.
Should this occur, around 26 states could potentially outlaw or drastically limit abortion access, affecting over 36 million women of reproductive age and others capable of pregnancy in the US. This pressing issue was symbolically represented last week in Washington, DC, through “OURs,” an innovative public art initiative by artist Alicia Eggert alongside Planned Parenthood. The installation, marking Roe v. Wade’s 49th anniversary, featured the phrases “Our Bodies,” “Our Futures,” and “Our Abortions” on a bright fuchsia neon sign outside the Supreme Court, designed to travel to states where abortion rights are precarious.
Alicia Eggert shared with Hyperallergic the significance of the installation’s message, stating, “The interchangeability of those three words — ‘bodies,’ ‘futures,’ and ‘abortions’ — highlights their deep interconnection. Without access to abortion, we lack control over our futures.” Eggert’s work is part of broader efforts against a surge in anti-abortion legislation, a trend that has gained momentum since President Trump’s 2016 election and subsequent conservative Supreme Court appointments.
In 2021, Planned Parenthood reported nearly 600 proposed abortion restrictions, with over 100 enacted into law — the highest annual total since Roe v. Wade. Last year, the Supreme Court maintained a Texas law that bans most abortions after six weeks, the most restrictive in the country. Justice Sonia Sotomayor labeled the ruling “a grave disservice to women in Texas.” This week, Eggert’s artwork is set to appear in Ohio, where new proposed legislation may allow civil actions against those involved in abortions.
Eggert, a studio art professor at the University of North Texas, expressed a personal stake in the project, citing her experience living in a state with already stringent abortion restrictions. By collaborating with Planned Parenthood and employing her neon art practice, she aims to address this pressing issue. Though art may not sway judicial decisions, “OURs” seeks to engage the public, encouraging them to advocate for their rights. “It comes from a place of truth and urgency,” Eggert explained, emphasizing that the medium of signage effectively draws attention and conveys messages, urging viewers to reconsider this critical moment.
