Lockdown

The COVID-19 pandemic was an unprecedented disruption to the flow of life.

What began as a dire health concern quickly devolved into a political issue that further isolated people from one another. This sculpture presents the COVID molecule as a ball-and-chain restraint device. A key is seen captured within a glass syringe, offering a way free. The dual meaning implied is that for the health conscious and vaccine skeptic alike, we were all bound by this thing, however we felt about it.

Every element was found — scrap yards, second-hand stores, dumpsters — then cleaned, stripped, sorted and rebuilt. Found aluminum is TIG-welded and sanded seamless; nothing is cast. The electronics are salvaged from consumer devices, repaired and rewired so the piece does something when you touch it.