Fortitude is a material experimentation on the subject of strength. Perforated and expanded steel, screen mesh and copper act as fabric, layered to make a life-size ballerina tutu. The piece takes on the graceful, delicate elegance often associated with ballet. The materials symbolize the rigour, discipline and physical toil necessary to be a professional dancer. They illustrate the hardship of keeping quiet for fear of dismissal as weak or inadequate. The petite body of the implied dancer addresses the expectation that classical dancers maintain precise measurements or face being quickly discarded, regardless of talent or ambition.

The tutu will be embedded in a tree, serving as a stand-in for the dance partner.

image: Katarina Marinic