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



Saturday, April 2, 2016

New Work at Faculty Show

Check out two interactive pieces and a music video - all new- at the Faculty Exhibition.
Hope to see you at the reception on April 8th from 6-8!  The show is up from now until May 29th.
Schoenherr Gallery

Schoenherr Gallery

Monday, February 1, 2016

Lyrics to my New Song

Lyrics to my newest song:

Home

Leave it all. Carry hope
Leave it all. Carry hope
Land and sea
Skies and me
Coming home

Sing again. Peaceful men
Sing again. Peace women
Land and sea
Skies and me
Coming home
Smile with your eyes
Grasp the sunrise
The day has come
We are one
We are one. On this earth
We are one. On this earth
Land and sea
Skies and me
Rebirth
Smile with your eyes
Grasp the sunrise
The day has come
Nahnu Wahidun
Leave it all. Carry hope
Leave it all. Carry hope
Land and sea
Skies and me
Coming home

Kevin Valentine 2016

Sort of a slow anthem in Bbm
Could mean a lot of things, but I was thinking of refugees in flight.

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Widows #5: Widowsweave Performance remembered

Widows#5 Performance/Installation was one of my best media pieces of the series. Projection of up to five videos of me completing an earlier performance was layered on top of a live performance of Widowsweave on a chalkboard that I built on which 3 million intersections of line are drawn.
Video documentation on Vimeo:
https://vimeo.com/18804470

Monday, January 18, 2016

From 6 years ago: 43 Days

This photo is from this blog, January 18, 2010.  These lines were drawn in the sand at South Blvd. Beach in Evanston on the second day of my 43 days.  Commemorating widows in Iraq with a unbelievable, inaccurate estimate of the sheer numbers through the dead of winter was in turns moving, somber, preposterous, beautiful, and provocative.  Though I haven't finished the 3 million lines for a variety of reasons, I feel that this may have been my most successful work to date.



Sunday, January 17, 2016

25 Year Anniversary

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the beginning of the Gulf War (bombing in Operation Desert Storm) and the fascinating video-game-like coverage that was as enthralling as it was sanitized. I will try to post something here or on Facebook or other social media from my artistic journey since that time relating to the war, the Iraqi people, widows and by extension all war and its impact, as well as the healing effect of art as response.