"A few years ago I applied for a grant for $5,000 to go to Miami and basically work with the artist Jim Drain for a week. Part of that grant was to create a piece upon returning, so this was my piece that I made. When I was in Miami, Jim was working on these powder-coated benches. We went to the powder-coating factory and he was collecting all the different parts for one, and the colors were basically hot pink and neon green and black. I was really attracted to that. I felt like it was representative of my idea of Miami. I had never been there before and actually before I went, I bought all this hot pink clothing and patent leather hot pink sandals and hot pink nail polish to get in the mood for it. I actually wear this a lot.”