Untitled Participation Trophies (2018)

49 x 27 x 8 inches | Wood, plastic army men, spray paint, cabinet hardware, plexiglass, LED light strip

The word trophy originates from the Greek tropaion, once used to describe body parts, captives, and spoils seized in battle.
Historically, war trophies commemorate military victories—markers of conquest by a nation, army, or individual.


Untitled Participation Trophies reflects on both the rewards and costs of military service by presenting carefully crafted
tableaux of trauma. Each trophy features a gold topper composed of modified plastic army men, frozen in poses of injury and
distress, icons of service, now bearing the scars of war. The installation interrogates the unfulfilled promises of national
service, placing these altered figures in a setting that feels all too familiar: a brightly lit trophy case like those found
in high schools, community centers, or VFW halls.

These are anti-monuments, symbols not of glory, but of sacrifice and psychological toll. The trophy, traditionally a token of
pride and valor, here feels disturbingly hollow. Through its direct visual language, the work asks viewers to reckon with the
personal and societal costs of war, and to confront how we commemorate, obscure, or sanitize its aftermath.