Buckets of Blood
Buckets of Blood
40" wide x 69" high x 20" deep
I’ve used whichever technique fit each part of this project. Painting: The stripes are painted on fabric.
Assemblage: The stars are made from 50 milk or orange juice carton spouts, sewn to burlap. Sculpture:
Pouring from the stars, large 3D blood drips are made from wire armature, plaster-wrap like that used in
body casts, gel medium molding paste, and paint. Pen: The lettering on the reverse side of the project is
written in permanent laundry marker sharpie on fabric. Green foam sheet and paper: the cartoon money
below the bleeding flag has computer printed logos of the top U.S. defense contractors applied to the
center of each foam sheet bill. Art can work best when a variety of materials are considered for a variety
of purposes.
Many people within younger generations are interested in retaining our humanity. This can branch into
valuing what is hand-done, local, natural, or unedited, especially as there is a perception that these
things may become rare in the future. For some people, this branches into how we see politics. We
approach political subjects with the intent of honesty, rather than treating the subject in a glossed-over
or glamorized way.
The United States has continued to spend more money on the defense budget than any other country.
The majority of U.S. discretionary spending is allocated for military use. We are also home to the
biggest defense contracting company in the world, Lockheed Martin. With “Buckets of Blood,”
I hope to bring attention to the mutilation and loss of life caused by this militarism. I hope to draw
people’s attention with the visuals— visuals which can then ask, “What are the priorities of America?”