‘Created in the first years of the AIDS epidemic, this work was conceived in concerto form (three movements). All of the images were circular or oval, and each movement had nine paintings, going through the spectrum from white to black (W-Y-O-R-V-B-G-B-B). The project explored the potential of overly sentimentalized imagery (clowns, tattoos, greeting cards) to express the artist’s feelings of anger, loss, and “otherness.” The prevailing social and aesthetic climate seemed incapable of recognizing or commenting upon those who were dying of this mysterious and stigmatizing virus, and this project was an attempt by Woodruff to communicate his reactions. This work includes: Crying Clowns: portraits of the artist turning in space from left to right. Cardiomegaly: a medical term for the swelling of the heart, these images were derived from classic tattoo “flash” designs. As the hearts swelled, the daisy petals carved into the mahogany frames became fewer and fewer. Cyncere Cympathy: By combining flowers that were the wrong color with cute animals in peril, Woodruff attempted to create sympathy cards for the uncomfortable and jarring events that were occurring all around him.’ Link here.