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For full info go to: http://www.dignityoflove.com

For me, creativity is very important (I write stories, make sculptures, short films etc) and I really do like the idea of this project.

I thought that as this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to make a public statement, I wanted it to be something that was important to me. After considering scores of ideas, I have finally settled on a deeply personal creative piece that revolves around friendship and love. (Two things that really make my life worth living) It will take the form of a 'sculpture' which I simply call 'The Paramount Importance of Friendship and Love'

I thought long and hard as to how to get this statement across and I figured the finished piece should (a) attempt to capture the imagination of it's audience, (b) be profoundly intimate, and (c) illustrate the length friends and loved ones can and do go to, to help each other out.

What 'The Paramount Importance of Friendship and Love' will look like:

If you can imagine a near naked, middle aged, 6' 2", tattooed, skinhead, sitting in a small paddling pool, on top of a seven metre high plinth, in the heart of London, bathing in a couple of litres of theatrical blood, mixed with a significant amount of real blood that has been extracted from my closest friends and family, then you have pretty much got the picture.

Beside me on the plinth will be about ten containers, each containing 100ml (about half a mug full) of blood that has been extracted from those that are closest to me. Each blood donor will also be asked to compose a poem (themed around friendship and love) and I will read each of these from the plinth. I am also going to ask the viewing public to submit a similarly themed poem (or a short story ) with a view to compiling the best of them into a book, hopefully for publication. (If you have a poem or short story you would like to submit to me, please send it to: plinth@live.co.uk )

So, what exactly is this living sculpture all about?

The title of the piece says it all really. This sculpture is a statement highlighting "The Paramount Importance of Friendship and Love" (see http://dignityoflove.com)

It's a both simplistic and graphic way to illustrate how immesurably supportive and important friends and loved ones can be, (and have been) in this frequently difficult journey through life.

The statment revolves not, in fact, around the actual sculpture itself, but looks towards the actions of my friends and loved ones who are willing to support me in this project by letting me extract some of their blood to use in the sculpture. An action that for some was quite daunting!

Bathing in the blood is an act of considerable intimacy and is a graphic illustration of my love, appreciation of, and warmth towards, my closest friends and family.

It is a gesture that intends to shout...

"Thank you for your years of love, support and friendship" to my intimates, and

"Consider the paramount importance of friendship and love" to everyone who is exposed to the piece.

If you want to know more you can look here:

http://dignityoflove.com

Finally, I am a little nervous about the idea as it's a bit 'out there' (and I have Crohn's Disease that might make it near impossible for me to participate) but hey, we only get one go at this life so what the hell!

Here's wishing all the other plinthers the very best of luck! :-)