Claire Lemmel and David Jones, One Blood the communities' blood, 6' x13' [email protected], [email protected]

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.

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