Regarding the fingernail story Ifallalot linked....
Back around May 1990, a friend of mine called and asked me for something personal from so she could make some art for a show.
"It can be anything....I will need in in two months or sooner."
As life would have it, just before she called, I was about to trim my toenails and fingernails, and after the call, well, I knew what I would give her.
So from then on, and every two weeks thereafter for the next two months, clipped my nails and saved them.
When I gave them to her in a pill bottle, she dumped out the contents in her palm, looked at me with puzzlement and said, "Fingernails?"
"And toenails."
"Someone gave me a hair clipping, but other people have given me objects like family photo or jewelry...fingernails...and toenails." A mild exhalation followed.
"I am sure you can make something clever with this personal item. Just invite me to the show."
A month later, get an invite to the show.
My contribution were sewn into the cover of a book she had made.
I can't for the life of me remember the title of the book, nor what point my keratin was supposed to be making, if any.
I should call her up and ask.
"Hey, I just brought up your 1990 summer Masters exhibition at CCAC in a surfing forum and I was wondering, that book with my finger and toenails on the cover that you made....what was the title of that book?"