"Gaga and I will never promote eating disorders"

Picture this: In a SXSW, Texas performance, Lady Gaga had vomit artist Millie Brown throw up on her on-stage, to create art. Yes, you read it right: Meet 26-year-old Millie Brown, a LA based artist who uses vomit as a form of art and expression.
So what really is vomit art? Pioneered by Brown, it is an art form wherein the artist drinks coloured milk and throws up forcibly on a canvas, thus making colourful patterns.For her SXSW stint, Brown threw up on Gaga while the latter performed on her song Swine.
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This act received a lot of criticism online, for promoting bulimia and eating disorders. Brown, who spoke to us from New York, elaborated on this art form, her association with Gaga and the controversies surrounding her. “I started exploring this concept at 17 when I went to an art collective in South London. There I came to know about a Berlin art event where one could use his or her body to produce art. That is when I thought about vomit art, as a way to express myself, to protest against war and other social evils,” shared Millie. Buy why vomit? “This art comes from within my body and with it I want to make people think. It is kind of uncontrollable and raw and absolutely surprising how the human body can make rainbows,” she shared.
While there is an international online petition doing the rounds to end her association with Gaga, Brown feels that their artistic bond is unbreakable. She said, “I met Gaga through mutual friend and collaborator Nick Knight in 2009 and we shot the interlude for her Monster Ball tour together. We have been friends ever since. She has always encouraged me to do more with this art and our association can’t be broken so easily.”
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Clarifying her stand on the controversy of promoting eating disorders she said, “Gaga and I would never promote eating disorders. Vomit art has nothing to do with it and it’s just a powerful and liberating way of expression. It overwhelms me when I see people’s reactions ranging from happy to angry to grossed out and tearyeyed.” she added.
Brown who has been performing for over nine years now is a strict vegan. A vegetarian earlier, she used to drink milk to throw up on stage. Having done that for years together, Brown can no longer tolerate the sight of milk. “I drink only soy milk for my performance now and I don’t prefer milk otherwise,” she shared. While she thoroughly enjoys this art form she also acknowledges that it is one which is difficult to practice. “If I perform for the entire day I get a migraine owing to the effect of the colours in the milk. Also I make it a point not to eat anything before my performance as it would be gross to have chunks of food on the painting,” she added.
Brown’s schedule is packed with upcoming performances with Gaga. “We are looking out for more such opportunities for practising this liberating art,” she said.
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