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. The HIV+ blood used in some of the artworks is supplied by a friend who wishes to remain anonymous.

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.