Aguacate Sangre is a sculptural project by Christopher Reynolds that addresses the hidden violence embedded within global consumer habits, specifically through the lens of the "blood avocado" trade. In recent years, the lucrative avocado industry in Mexico—particularly in the state of Michoacán—has become deeply entangled with cartel operations. Armed groups have seized control of many farms, extorting growers, forcibly taking over production, and using the profits from avocado exports to fund criminal activities. Despite growing media attention, most U.S. consumers remain largely unaware of the complex and often violent networks that underlie the fruits they purchase at supermarkets and restaurants.

Reynolds casts actual imported Mexican avocados in solid bronze, a material traditionally associated with permanence, gravity, and memorialization. Each cast is stained and polished to a deep, blood-red hue, symbolizing both the literal violence involved in their production and the unseen cost embedded in a seemingly benign luxury. The choice of solid bronze not only references traditional sculptural techniques but also creates a palpable physical weight—an intentional contrast to the soft, perishable flesh of a real avocado. This heavy material presence mirrors the heavy political, social, and ethical burdens tied to contemporary Mexico-U.S. trade relations and the unchecked consumer demand that fuels illicit economies.

Through Aguacate Sangre, Reynolds confronts viewers with a material truth: luxury and violence are often inseparable in globalized economies. By transforming an everyday food item into a heavy, immovable artifact, the project asks audiences to consider the real costs of consumption, the fragility of ethical sourcing claims, and the invisible labor and violence that often support "simple" pleasures. In a time of heightened border tensions, cartel violence, and economic dependency between Mexico and the United States, the work stands as a visceral reminder that consumption is never politically neutral.