In this work, the artist uses bridges as a symbol for “the urge to create
personal and societal connections” that have proven to be essential to our well-being.
Firstly, as a logical creature, humans try to understand the world by making connections by weaving together sensations and perceptions and seeking to understand the complex interactions that they detect around them. No wonder, as our brains are hard-wired to operate through finding patterns, establishing cause-and-effect relationships, and creating coherent narratives.
At the same time, humans are social beings who have a deep need for emotional connections with others. They form friendships, romances, families, and communities to satisfy this social impulse. Connection with others provides a sense of belonging, support, and a foundation for personal growth and development.
However, entropy is a fundamental force in nature causing all systems to move towards disorder and randomness over time as systems cannot be maintained indefinitely due to energy ebb and flow the effort required to maintain structures.
This inevitable breaking down of things and relations can also be applied to life's psychological and social aspects. Our minds lose resilience, particularly with aging, and are diminished in the physical process of synapse-building and the thematic endeavor of coherence-building through sensitivity to interrelatedness and story-building. One of the great benefits of religion is it nourishes through worship and prayer our deep need for coherence.
On a social level, people move away or grow apart as relationships deteriorate, misunderstandings arise, and social structures break down or are redefined for political reasons or due to archetypal or theme dynamics.
On top of all that, the fast-paced and individualistic nature of modern life often leads to isolation and a paucity of meaningful connections. But, boy, do we try to build them bridges!
