Medium Well, a cast aluminum hamburger sculpture painted in shades of pink with a garment-style tag

Medium Well

Cast aluminum, paint, acrylic, and cardboard
10 × 9 × 9 in.
2018

Society often pressures boys to avoid putting care into their outfits, lest they be labeled “fragile” or “girly.” I believe there is no shame in expressing oneself, regardless of gender — boys should not be confined to stereotypically rugged activities, and “fabulousness” transcends gender boundaries. In this piece, I cast an oversized hamburger in metal to symbolize toxic masculinity, adorning it with various shades of pink.

Aluminum, a robust material, becomes vulnerable once coated in layers of paint, reflecting the mutable nature of surface. This vulnerability is further emphasized by the “do not hand-wash” and “do not dry clean” logos displayed on the tag.