Raul's Hand, 2022
Stainless steel mount, motor, knife
Fabrication assistance from Ben Dimock
Raul's Hand is a kinetic sculpture that discusses American labour politics, the settled state of the animal agriculture industry and the entrenchment of capitalism’s role in it, as workplace injuries and labour rights violations become a pivotal part of American animality.
Slaughterhouse work has become one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States, as injury rates rise about 3 times higher than other typical factory operations. The term "break-in” is used by the American Meat Institute as the initial period of decreased work in order to condition employees’ muscle tendon groups prior to working at full capacity. These jobs are problematic, as repetitive motion for full shifts, leave employees to develop very severe pain.
