Enraged in the Engine Block (top)

Steadfast Through the Piston Shaft (middle)

Persevere Under Grinding Gears (bottom)

2016

graphite, watercolor, India ink, gesso, Milo’s tea stain, Lipton tea stain, illustration pens and acrylic paint on mixed media paper hung with curtain grommets

89x42in.

This work marks the beginning of making very conscious and meticulous decisions on how the machines in my work would look in relation to the work’s meaning. I wanted each machine to look like it could function in the real world and to have a “function over form” aesthetic. The visually overbearing machine-to-human ratio is a metaphor the overwhelming feeling an individual can experience when striving for achievement. Each panel’s respective title describes the figure handling their pressure with better stride the more weight he or she is carrying. This is a reference to The Underworld… and the positive attitude it takes to carry on.