The Sleep of America Generates Monsters

The piece is a mixed-media assemblage exploring how ignorance and disengagement allow harm to rise to power. The composition centers on two figures: on the left, a figure is rendered in a state of deep, undisturbed sleep, symbolizing a collective in denial. To the right, the "monster" emerges, its profile defined by raw textures and fragmented materials.
The work is anchored by a vertical rupture physically cut through the canvas, creating voids that function as literal wounds rather than painted illusions. These openings are meticulously bound with rope and hand-stitching, emphasizing both the violence of the fracture and a fragile attempt to contain the breakage. Collaged text and newsprint are layered throughout, referencing the saturation of distorted or ignored information. By using industrial materials like twine and burlap alongside traditional acrylic paint, the piece documents a fractured identity where the failure of awareness allows destructive forces to persist.