Part of my Reflection series, my original "Wired for Success" design called for a simple dancer, intended to be illuminated from the side, with the associated reflection incorporated into the art.

As the work progressed, I found myself wanting to express more than just the interactive surface of the dancer. What imbued her with the drive to master that difficult pose? This question gave rise to the sculpture before you.

The work explores themes of beauty, pain, and self-imprisonment. The harsh barbed wire stands in stark contrast to the elegant and fluid movement of the dancer. It suggests that even the most beautiful or seemingly effortless achievements can be born from or accompanied by pain. 

The piece challenges the notion of effortless grace, revealing the suffering that may lie beneath. The barbed wire, a symbol of confinement and injury, is also a tool of the dancer's own making, as it binds her hands to her foot to complete the modified arabesque penchée pose.

This suggests a form of self-imposed imprisonment, where a person’s drive for achievement becomes a source of self-inflicted pain.

When the sculpture is illuminated, the reflection on the opposing wall creates a shadow that makes the dancer appear blindfolded.

The sculpture points to a self-imposed blindness to the pain caused by her relentless pursuit of perfection. She is not a victim of external forces; she is unable to perceive the damage she is doing to herself in her quest for a specific ideal.

How are you wired?

54”h x 24”w x 3”d: hard drive platter, motherboard, barbed wire.