I have always been fascinated by carousel horses. I find them strangely beautiful yet in a way also frightening. As a child they almost seemed to me as though they were held captive on the merry-go-round, forced to spend their days and nights going round in circles. I often thought it would be nice if they were able to someday escape the carousel and run free instead. That is how I arrived at the original concept of The Illusion of Freedom series. The images, viewed sequentially tell the story of the carousel horses who are freed from the merry-go-round, only to be lured into another form of captivity.
This series explores the fragile nature of freedom. There is a political metaphor in that we perceive freedom as a fundamental right, yet history has shown us that it can be quickly taken away. Viewed as a whole, the works in this series comprise an allegory of sorts, telling the story of freedom gained and lost, or perhaps more precisely the illusion of freedom that never really was. While it often takes a great struggle to obtain freedom, I think that is only the beginning of the hard work, and constant vigilance is needed to keep it.
None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
This series explores the fragile nature of freedom. There is a political metaphor in that we perceive freedom as a fundamental right, yet history has shown us that it can be quickly taken away. Viewed as a whole, the works in this series comprise an allegory of sorts, telling the story of freedom gained and lost, or perhaps more precisely the illusion of freedom that never really was. While it often takes a great struggle to obtain freedom, I think that is only the beginning of the hard work, and constant vigilance is needed to keep it.
None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe