Cathartic Moment

A conceptual sculpture of a figure, with a dark, heavy torso and a bright, reflective chest containing small falling men.
Wall sculpture of a figure with a reflective chest and dark torso, symbolizing a journey to healing from trauma
The ethereal, ghost-like reflection of a sculpture on a wall, where the figure's torso appears to vanish, revealing only bright insets.
A sculpture of a figure with a dark torso and bright chest, casting an ethereal, ghostly reflection on the adjacent wall.
Detail photo of the "Cathartic Moment" sculpture, showing the physical form alongside its wall reflection, where the dark torso vanishes.
Detail photo of Mike Silverman's "Cathartic Moment" sculpture, showing the form shot with a screen to minimize reflections.
Abstract reflection on a wall, showing bright, fragmented shapes and "falling men" created by a hidden sculpture's light.
A wall sculpture of a figure made from upcycled e-waste. The torso is dark and matted, contrasting sharply with the polished, reflective metal of the chest and head
Conceptual art sculpture of a figure with its arms thrown back and chest open, symbolizing a moment of profound release. The piece is made of dark and reflective e-waste.
A sculpture of a human figure by Mike Silverman. Its lower body is made of upcycled hard drive platters and its upper body is made of blue motherboard.
A conceptual sculpture by Mike Silverman, 'Cathartic Moment.' The piece is a figure in a pose of release, composed of a dark, non-reflective torso and a head and limbs made from hard drive platters.
A close-up of 'Cathartic Moment's' reflective chest, showing multiple small, dark figures embedded within the metal, as if falling or being released.
A side view of 'Cathartic Moment's' reflective chest, showing that the inset figures are raised off the chest at differing heights.

Cathartic Moment captures a specific moment — the moment I experienced a nearly complete lifting of the fog of PTSD, not by fighting it, but by choosing to face it. Just letting it hurt.

The dark torso is heavy and unreflective. It holds the past: the inner struggle, the fragmentation, the pain that had been locked away and manifested as paralyzing anxiety. The bright chest and head are polished hard drive platters — open, luminous, capable of reflection.

When lit from the side, the spotlight functions as both revelation and metaphor. The torso vanishes in the reflection. What remains on the wall is only light. The trauma's hold is broken — not by force, but by exposure. The falling figures within the chest are that release.

The piece is a universal tribute to the moment when falling becomes flying.

44"h x 54"w x 3"d: hard drive platter, motherboard, platter spacing rings, nail polish