My idea for this piece comes from the years I’ve spent doing weight training and some of the odd ideas that stem from this activity. First off, whenever I tell someone that I train with weights the reaction to this statement is often the request for me to flex my arms. The bicep pose has become the iconic display of masculinity within todays society. The second thing that influenced this piece was the absolute absurdity of bodybuilding. The first time I saw a bodybuilder in person was quite a shock. The man was so big he could barely walk, and looked like a monster rather than an athlete (or human). I wanted to create an image that displayed the grotesque results of this activity. When begining this piece I was thinking of classical monsters like the cyclops or the thousand eyed creature; furthermore, I felt that for the manner that bodybuilders deform their bodies this would be their ultimate goal. I’ve included a few stages of the process in creating this piece, and alternate titles were “Muscle Flower” (because it kind of looks like a flower), and “Bigorexia” (which is a real term).