Q.U.E.E.N is part of the Momentum series celebrating everyday women, It was inspired by the courage of Janelle Monae in embracing the non-normal. Like all pieces in the series it hovers between abstraction and figuration.

The dichotomy of motion and stasis is the heart of this sculpture as it imbues time and fluidity into wood. The design embodies the essential qualities of the grain to emphasize the curves of the body.   The fracturing of the image and the geometry of the fracture lines creates a time-lapse.  In the round, you see the image pulling apart or coming together as you move around the fully 3D sculpture.  The wood is left rough intentionally to reinforce the fracture of time.  This fracturing instills a sense of time and therefore motion into this static work.  

The stance of the figure is striking in its unapologetic spread, enveloping and solidifying the negative space between her core and the ground. It is the confident stance of a woman who knows that she is mighty and has unlimited effect over her realm. Her hand pulls the heavens in toward her. While at the same time expressing power outward. Trained in dance, Braitman assumes and translates the poses of her figures through an acute body-to-form-understanding. In this way Braitman is both the creator and the created.

The piece celebrates both digital technology and traditional hand-work.  The work started and ended with hand-work.  The initial maquette was created at one-third scale in wax.  After digitizing the work, software was used to slice, dice, and scale it.  Machine code turned the sliced work into instructions for a CNC machine.  The machined pieces were finished and assembled by hand. The artwork , like most in the series, took more than 4 months to complete.

Listen to the Inspiration: I urge you to play the song and look at the photos or video (on mute).