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Artist: Claire Lemmel |
| Title: One Blood |
| Material: Human Blood on Canvas |
| e-mail: clemmel@jps.net |
| Artist's Comment: |
| One Blood is a large,
6X13 ft, formal conceptual art piece. A canvas is covered with human blood
as a call for the recognition of human unity and a plea that the bloodshed
of September 11Th, 2001 not be seen as justification for inflicting more
bloodshed on innocent people in other nations. It says to all, "stop
and think," with the same dramatic impact that bloody violence has
in movies and on television. Twenty-two persons in northern California gave
and spread their own blood in October of 2001. Claire Lemmel, the artist,
and David Jones, her husband, asked that participants not contribute to
the piece with any thought of anger, hate or violence. Spreading of the
blood was the culmination of a week of discussion by the participants as
to what it meant for each person to put their blood on the canvas and how
it would change their response to other people. One Blood was first shown in November 2001 in Point Arena, California. On New Years Eve, 2001, it was the centerpiece of a special service at the First Unitarian Universalist church in Houston, Texas. Afterward it remained on exhibit for four days. The response to the showing was very strong and twenty-six Houstonians then replicated the piece. The second piece is of the same dimensions and is called One Blood Houston. The One Blood project is to replicate the piece in at least three more cities in the United States, San Francisco Bay Area, Washington, D.C. and New York City. One Blood San Francisco Bay Area is currently in progress. All five pieces would be shown in New York City on September 11Th, 2002. On that date a new canvas, of the same dimensions, would also be started. Viewers of One Blood could place a drop of their own blood on the new canvas and that canvas would then be circulated around the world to receive the blood of others, becoming One Blood the World. We believe that the vast majority of peoples of the world are desirous of living in peace, free from violence perpetrated by governments and other entities of power. This can be achieved if we, in the words of Thich Nhat Hanh, "awaken from the illusion of our separateness." Awaken to the fact of One Blood. |
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| If you are interested in participating in the One Blood project in San Francisco Bay Area, Washington, D.C. or New York City, please use this contact : clemmel@jps.net . |
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