Fortitude

steel, mesh, copper wood, mirror 8’x48"x31" (2.4m x1.21m x79cm), 2017

Fortitude is a monument to the strength of women.

Steel, mesh and copper act as fabric, which are layered to make a life-size tutu. The piece itself is embedded at waist level in a 8'x4' mirrored, free standing wall.

The structural, industrial connotations of the materials form an opposition to the softness/delicacy implied by fabrics. They reveal a power and spirit obscured by the delicate, elegance often associated with femininity.

The reflection confronts the viewer with a fragmented body image: they are invited to visualize themselves superimposed on the tutu thus providing an interactive element to the experience.