“Initially, this piece was inspired by a communications tower and guide wires that support the tower against winds. But over the course of my early sketch trips through western South Dakota, it progressed into a painting about fences and wires. Traveling through the open spaces of western South Dakota, I became acutely aware of fence structures. They define ownership, keep animals in or out, contain spaciousness in neat little grids, direct human travel. These structures lack the curves and grace of nature’s formations; they represent the rigid, structured style of modern society. They represent our need to contain and control.”