The underlying concept behind these works is Gramsci’s idea of “common sense” and its relationship to capitalism. Gramsci’s concept describes how dominant beliefs can become accepted as natural or self-evident, including the idea of “pulling oneself up by the bootstraps”,  the belief that anyone can achieve economic success through hard work alone. This obscures the structural inequalities and financial advantages that shape people’s opportunities, particularly those already afforded to the wealthy.

The steel plates were etched and repeatedly overworked, degrading the material and leaving holes, scars and crumbling edges. Text became increasingly illegible as the plates’ final forms were disfigured and distorted. They were then polished using an angle grinder, further altering their surfaces. The resulting works reflect the strain and struggle experienced by workers under capitalism: caught within systems that promote the promise of economic fairness and social mobility while withholding access to the basic necessities of life, such as food and water.