Blood Work

When artists say they would bleed for their work, they don’t usually mean it literally (well, except for that crazy “period porn” lady who paints with, uh, Aunt Flo). But in searching for ways to visually illustrate the “One Drop Rule” of the early 20th century that labeled any person with a single drop of African-American blood “colored,” bi-racial art couple Bradley McCallum and Jacqueline Tarry saw one option: literally exchange blood.

Their video installation is included in “The Other Mainstream II” at ASU Art Museum. The exhibit explores issues of race, gender, and sexuality, with works by more than a dozen outspoken contemporary artists, including Mickalene Thomas and locals Steven Yazzie and Roy Wasson Valle. Valle’s Cleaning Up is a tongue-in-cheek look at global warming, featuring a polar bear using a leaf blower. Unlike what's depicted in the video, no actual polar bears were harmed in the making of the piece. We promise.