A digital archive of Asian/Asian American contemporary art history

CBC (Complete Blood Counts)

2003
High definition display, stereo sound installation

Still image from video work.

"My daughter Vivian was diagnosed with leukemia when she was five months old. It is a cancer of the early blood-forming cells made in her bone marrow. As the only effective way to cure this deadly disease, chemotherapy affects both cancer cells and normal cells. In a way, the fight against cancer is a civil war within her, and the potent drugs leave devastating impact to the body.

CBC, a complete analysis of blood cells, is a closely monitored for leukemia patients. Blood transfusion is given when healthy blood cells are critically reduced by the therapy. As a result, patients go through cycles of anemia, while the fragile balance between the effectiveness of cancer treatment and the preservation of a normal bodily function is maintained. The images in the video don’t necessarily duplicate the medical process. Instead, they are metaphor for the frightening effect of chemotherapy and the body’s tenacious struggle to recover."

--Artist Statement

Style/Period

video art; experimental art
CBC (Complete Blood Counts)
Source: Digital Image