WASHINGTON (AP) – A Washington museum will exhibit a sculpture that uses the blood of nine gay, bisexual and transgender men to protest the federal ban on blood donations from men who have sex with other men.
The American University Museum will showcase Jordan Eagles’ sculpture, entitled “Jordan Eagles: Blood Mirror,” in an exhibit opening Sept. 12. The artwork includes blood donations encased in resin.
Blood for the exhibit came from nine accomplished people who are banned from donating blood. Eagles is known for using blood in his artwork.
Showcasing blood in an exhibit may sound gruesome to some, but the piece is “quite elegant and beautiful,” said Museum Director Jack Rasmussen. The artwork is a three-sided rectangle that will allow visitors to step inside it. The idea is that viewers can see themselves reflected through the blood in the sculpture.
The museum is staging the exhibit as a protest of the ongoing federal policy.