Release Date: January 9, 2008
Bloody exhibition opens tonight
Contact: Cheryl Anderson Brown, Assistant Director of Public Relations,
770-499-3417 or cbrown@kennesaw.edu
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"Love Nest " by Robert Sherer Photo by Matt Haffner |
Kennesaw, Ga.— The College of the Arts at Kennesaw State University will open the exhibition, “Robert Sherer: Blood Works, Portraits of Love and Loss in the Age of AIDS”, with a reception from 5-8 p.m. tonight, Jan. 9, in the Fine Arts Gallery on campus. The artist will be present.
In the “Blood Works”
series, Alabama-born Sherer uses blood as his paint to create botanical images conveying messages about personal responsibility and relationships in the age of AIDS and about issues of race in the American South. Sherer uses his own HIV-negative blood as well as HIV-negative and HIV-positive blood from volunteer donors.
Sherer's work examines what blood means to humanity. Initially, his thoughts focused almost entirely on the AIDS epidemic. “Because of HIV/AIDS, we started thinking about blood a lot more often. Even Robin Williams joked that we would need to ask for a blood sample before starting a new relationship,” Sherer says.
In the ten years since he started painting with blood, however, Sherer has expanded the themes of the work. He has now realized the strong tie between blood and racial identity, and has begun creating pieces that explore this idea, particularly as it relates to the history of his native South.
The exhibition features several new works as well as pieces that have been loaned from collectors throughout the country and from as far away as India. Some pieces are being auctioned to fund a new scholarship at the university.
Works from the series previously have been exhibited in more than 20 national and international shows, including at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia; Garden Gallery in Provincetown, Mass.; Anthem Gallery in New York City; and at the 2002 Triennale International d'Art Contemporain in Paris, France.
Sherer is an associate professor of art at Kennesaw State. His “Blood Works” series has garnered several university awards for distinguished scholarship. These awards have prompted the creation of a “Blood Works” book which will be published by the KSU Press in Spring 2009. Filmmaker Steven Baird is also creating a documenaray about the series.
“Robert Sherer: Blood Works” will open with a public reception, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2008 in the Fine Arts Gallery of the Joe Mack Wilson Building. The exhibition continues through March 11. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. The gallery is closed for all university holidays. There is no admission fee. For more information, contact the KSU Museum and Galleries office at 770-499-3223 or visit at www.kennesaw.edu/arts/bloodworks.
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Kennesaw State University is a comprehensive, residential institution with a growing student population exceeding 20,000 from 132 countries. The third largest state university out of 35 institutions in the University System of Georgia, KSU offers more than 55 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
The KSU College of the Arts is one of only four Georgia institutions to have achieved full national accreditation for all of its arts programs.