The Breaking Ring. The Center for Contemporary Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico. 2016. Installation, size variable.
The Breaking Ring ties together architectural and social aspects of wild horse culture in the American West. The installation includes a 24-foot breaking ring (gentling ring, round pen, etc.) made from regional hand-peeled Aspen logs. The ring hosts a diverse and carefully choreographed selection of public programs throughout the duration of the exhibition. Some of these include contemporary dance performances, qigong sessions, poetry readings, and community mahjong gatherings. The ring provides an ideal form to explore connective cultural links and foster activities centered around the horse breaking ring as a larger metaphor. Surrounded by the pages of An Equine Anthology (M12, Last Chance Press, 2015), The Breaking Ring faces all sides of wild horse politics and invites contemplation on social crossovers.
