Perpetual Motion
Stainless Steel
6.4 H x 9.1 L x 3.7 W (ft)
198 H x 260 L x 115 W (cm)
Perpetual Motion, like the giant majestic elephant, signifies how we are always moving. Technology has moved us to new heights in terms of every aspect of how we live. It is our choice if we use this technology for the beterment of mankind. Do we use it to find better ways to harvest crops, alleviate world hunger and poverty, to find cures for diseases, or do we use it to build weapons of war, and destroy the planet we live on. The gear symbolizes many things; to me it is it about cooperation, about community. In a machine every gear has its purpose, every gear is part of a larger whole, and each cog adds value to the machine. As humans we are all part of the larger machine, life on this planet, but it is our individual choices of whether we all decide to move towards the same goal to form a cohesive machine, or against each other, resulting in clashes and a faulty machine. Ultimately, all our actions have consequences, and they come back full circle to us, as in a machine made of endless gears.
The newborn baby within symbolizes the red blood that flows through all of us, pumping through our heart. we are all born, innocent, into this world, susceptible to the influences of the cogs of the machine around us. But it does not matter what religion we are, we all want the same thing for our children, a safe and peaceful world, a healthy environment to grow up in. In the end it is a search for friendship, love and a sense of belonging. The elephant is a symbol of strength and wisdom, often touted as having the best memory. As humans our actions leave footprints on the earth that are not so easily erased. The elephant is a reminder to think of the consequence of our actions, as the elephant, the largest mammal in the jungle is no match for the potential we as tinier yet much more powerful humans have to either destroy, or nurture our planet.