Widowsweave

Widowsweave is an awareness raising series of performances highlighting the conditions of Iraqi Widows who often struggle to acquire even basic necessities such as clean water or adequate shelter. Through artistic durational activities the artist and public participants mark 3,000,000 lines representing the number of Iraqi widows from 30 years of war, tyranny and sanctions.

News

Kevin Valentine will have three new pieces in the Faculty Show at North Central College, Naperville. The reception is April 8th, from 6-8



Tuesday, January 19, 2010

WidowsWeave: Day 3 of 43



Today was a beautiful day for January, sunny and calm around 30 degrees F.   I completed 17,050 lines today and collected twenty or so new sticks and branches for drawing lines from the trees around Montrose Harbor.

The sad indicator when drawing so many lines, is that doing lines quickly and efficiently becomes the goal.  Even counting efficiently is important for two reasons:  one, it helps keep the count accurate, and two, it keeps the numbers from racing though my head in bed at night.  I started counting 1,2,3 for the tens column, not even counting each line.  The rhythm of drawing the lines makes it so that I just know when the next ten comes up.  This way I can count to 40 for 400.  But what does it say about a war where up to 100,000 died and 400,000 were injured in 43 days!  And what about all the widows who are struggling from 30 years and 3 war in Iraq.

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