Rudy

A Reflection of “Life in the Big Wheel”

Metal, wood, clay and leather can take on a different life, a different purpose in the hands of an artist. At the age of seventeen, Henry Flores began creating art that reflected life. Over time life changed for Henry and his work titled “Rudy’ is the story of this change.

Rudy

His story begins with wheels shaped like knives with jagged edges – wheels that would hurt to push – because “that’s what it feels like by the end of the day, in spite of smooth wheelchair rims.”

Rudy’s legs and feet, created out of barbwire, symbolize the phantom pain described as “barbwire trying to break through the skin.” Over time, the somewhat twisted ankles, the crippled toes, and the legs which are no longer equally proportioned are what the person sees when they look down at the legs which can no longer support them.

“Six pack” abs are no longer attainable. The chest and belly always look fat because there is no muscle tone.

Arms created out of chains, with broken, welded and loose links reflect the breaking of bones, the tearing of tendons and the wearing out of arms that may be strong enough to push a wheelchair but they’ve lost real functionality. The hands made out of nuts and bolts with their exaggerated knuckles are hands deformed by arthritis and pain when they’ve pushed a wheelchair long enough.

Rudy’s blockhead and the slight smirk on his face show that a person has to be stubborn to live life in a wheelchair and maybe even a little devious and cunning in order to be successful.

Henry ends this story with a flower in Rudy’s hand because in spite of everything he says “You can still be human, you can still be civil and you can still be romantic. It’s a choice that we make - to stop and pick a flower or to walk by it.”

Henry has chosen to pick the flower.