Humans inhale and exhale approximately 22,000 times a day. The hummingbird averages 250 breaths per minute.

Through process, material and design, my work explores the notion of advantage and disadvantage that, adjacently, resides within all beings. Privilege comes in many forms ranging from skin/eye color, physical and mental ability to class, status and power. The most obvious, and seemingly basic, privilege one could possess is the ability to forget that air is entering and exiting the body. To perform this one critical natural act without any mental consideration frees the mind to explore endless arenas of fantasy, invention and day-to-day tasks.

When removed from what is intended/natural and stripped of privilege one must find ways of soothing the mind. A caged non-human may pace or repeatedly chew wood, and a dis-eased human may pace or saw metal. Rhythmic and repetitive movements encourage introspective or creative thinking. As a maker I have adopted this practice and find that it eases the mind when the body is testing and acting as a reminder of impermanence. I am drawn to the simplest technique of sawing/piercing as I find that I am able to forget about the process in the same way that some individuals may forget about the breath.