Fallen Monuments > Equestrian Fragments

Ancient Roman equestrian sculptures, as well as more recent Confederate monuments made in the same tradition, enforce a rigid hierarchy: the powerful rider is not only in control of his horse, he also towers over us, the viewers. We become the humble subjects or even the conquered enemies, our soft bodies defenseless against a fierce kick or violent trampling by the horse’s sharp hooves. As a way of capturing this dichotomy of power and vulnerability, many of my sculptures isolate the horse’s hoof and leg, a visual synecdoche for energy, speed, and danger that the animal embodies in this context.