Dolor Lindo

Dolor Lindo, 2022

Sculpture, Metal, Found object

9” x 8” x 14”

Dolor Lindo is a steel sculpture capturing the harm that comes to oneself when protecting what we love. My piece is completely made up of ¼” diameter thick steel rods, measuring roughly 14 inches in height, 8 inches wide and 9 inches in length. My process began by cutting the rod in multiple pieces with the abrasive saw followed by sanding down each individual cut into a fine point. Consequently, the cut rods were then bent to a desired curve using the universal bender; once the desired shape was achieved, I then followed by welding each individual rod together and sanding them to create my work. The organic shape of my piece is meant to represent beauty while the untouched color is meant to remind us of the harshness of the metal, a reflection of love; beautiful yet painful. My piece is composed of organic curves that seem to mimic a protective shell yet harming anything that wishes to escape its jagged points; within the center of my piece sits a bejeweled frog holding a ring, a representation of myself as well as a metaphor emphasizing the difficulty of protecting a relationship without being hurt. Unable to leave while protecting what I love but fearing to be scarred if I let go.