Pull, Breathe, Flip, Return

silicone, pigment, rubber bands, twisted cotton rope

+

10 tanks of gas, 13 gal of silicone rubber, 2 fl oz of retardant, 2 gallons of epoxy clay, 5 pounds of air dry clay, 42 oranges quartered and eaten 1x daily, 2,000mg vitamin C tablets taken 1x daily, 50,000units vitamin D gel caps taken 1x weekly, 3 HUMIRA injections, 2 MRIs, 2 X-RAYS, 1 comprehensive blood panel, 3 specialist's visits, 50min-long CBT 1x weekly, 3 weeks of 2x daily 80min-long TENS sessions, 4x weekly 30min-long swim sessions (22 sessions, 14.52 miles), 60 electrolyte packets, 200 feet of nylon tubing, 3-5 cups of tea daily, constant stretching

each bead measures roughly 2" in diameter, overall dimensions variable

2021

Curated alongside works by Manal Shoukair (foreground) and Dylan Ahern (background) in Hard Water at Tuesday Gallery, Richmond VA. Pull, Breathe, Flip, Return is a visualization of a set of laps I used to swim regularly. As a former competitive swimmer and now disabled person (no correlation), swimming is both instinct and therapy. Each bead's form, color, and additional bands represent various strokes, breath types, flips, touches of the wall, and aids such as hand paddles or pull buoys. The sculpture's overall form harkens towards both pool lane dividers and prayer beads, which I used to watch my late grandfather thumb in his hands while he did most anything. Viewers were welcome to maneuver the beaded loop throughout the gallery, in varying configurations.