Robert Sherer - Blood Works 
Technique
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.
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.
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.
Content
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. 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.
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