E.O. 9066
Fractured was created in response to an invitation from the Historical Woods of America to work with salvaged materials from sites of historical significance. The piece incorporates wood from a fallen elm tree at Monticello, the estate of Thomas Jefferson—author of the Declaration of Independence and a central figure in the founding of the United States.
This material connection introduces a pointed irony when considered alongside the incarceration of Japanese Americans under Executive Order 9066. The ideals of liberty and equality associated with Jefferson stand in stark contrast to a history of exclusion and confinement.
The structure itself is fragmented, with sliding doors that collide and prevent full access to the interior space. This disruption reflects both a physical and emotional landscape shaped by rupture, restriction, and unresolved contradiction.