The Usual Suspects
HIV+ and HIV- Blood on Paper
34" x 28"
"One evening, while playing with an X-Acto razor, it slipped from my hand and stuck straight up in my thigh. When I removed the blade from my leg, a red geyser shot into the air. I must have hit an artery. I quickly collected the squirting liquid in a hermetic container and placed it in the refrigerator."
Trojan Bouquet
HIV- Blood/Paper
27" x 20"
"The next day, when I attempted to use it as a drawing medium, I was discouraged to find that the pigment instantly coagulated in my quill pen. After some experimentation and consultation with a medical technician, I suspended the liquid in a thinning solution which helps it to flow smoothly."
Stigmata
HIV + Blood on paper
19" x 19"
"Soon after creating my first drawing in the series I discovered another setback to my medium: when it dries it darkens to brown within a day. It took several weeks of experimentation with sealers and varnishes before I found the best combination to preserve the sanguine freshness of my pigment. I now draw the blood from my arm with new clean syringes."
Daddy’s Little Girl
HIV- Blood on Paper
32" x 25"
"Botanical illustration and sexuality are intertwined. Flowers function on two distinct levels: they are beautiful, but they are also the genitals of plants. Beauty is an intangible - sex organs are a tangible. Love is an ideality - sex is a reality."
One-liners
HIV- Blood on Paper
18" x 15"
"For me, the edge where the real and the ideal meet is the most I can ever expect from any experience, whether it be the pursuit of art or the pursuit of a romantic relationship. Ultimately, the subject matter of this series concerns the complexities of romantic life and sexual attraction in the HIV era."
from the Artist Statement for the Triennale Internationale d'Art Contemporain, Toit de la Grande Arche, Paris, France - 2002.
