(Click to enlarge)

 2002

The shape of the ribbon symbolizing the fight against HIV was first cut out of a patched canvas to be sewn back afterward at the exact place. Meditating on our carnal body at the crossings of social and political forces and wishing to press my own body, I spent two days and one night without eating or sleeping. Sitting still on a studio bench I sewed in place the iconic design, as if every stitch had the potential to rub out a scar. With this stay in the gallery, it wasn’t so much the content of the work that was important but the ideas expressed and exchanged between the public and myself. Once the sewing completed, I painted a few light shapes on the cloth that included a nose, a mouth and a pink cross.