The Graduate. polychromed, 3d printed fdm model, Urethane Cast from 3d printed fdm model. 2018
The graduate is a metaphoric composition that explores the relationship between knowledge and confinement. In the work, a central figure is capped with a mortarboard, symbolizing scholastic achievement and expertise. The edges of the mortarboard define the domains of a cage that confines the figure, alluding to a prison cell.
The synectic combination of these two elements provides a springboard for many interpretations. On one level, it evokes the relationship of the school to the prison pipeline that plagues many communities. At the same time, the work also speaks about the debt that imprisons many students upon graduation.