Life for many becomes a paradox of seeking to grow and further themselves both in career, health, wellbeing, and societal standing. However, many end up with a negative view of life because they cannot have what they thought life would provide for them.
In relation to this paradox, Retrogression depicts an internal viewpoint of the life of an unspecified individual seeking to further his or herself alone. The twisted form shows chaos and confusion while trying to reach up and shape parts of itself with its feet: a process which yields little results. The feet symbolize the idea of one’s self journey in life and relying on the places they have taken themselves throughout that life to advance them into the next stage. However, feet are not very adept at shaping forms, in comparison to fingers, and highlight the struggle of self-reliance. The holes present in the form of the piece serve to depict the area of one’s life that they cannot ever fill on their own. No matter how far someone may be able to take themselves, there are various areas that are unreachable despite their hard work and experience. The imperfections throughout Retrogression increase the awareness of an unfinished person who has a lot of kinks to work out in both their personality and life as a whole. The lack of a face or personal features encourages viewers to put themselves in the place of this sculpture and evaluate their own endeavors in life.
