“Of a Free Will” is a new public sculpture created by Leon Reid IV for the “Playground of the Invisible” exhibition organized by Novo Collective. It is designed for installation on a pre-existing sign structure created by the artist in Brooklyn to feature his public works. In a universally practiced gesture, two hands fondle a smartphone, however here, handcuffs clasp each wrist and bind the individual to the device. The imagery while heavy in contradiction and symbolism is a recurring theme in Reid’s work, particularly in his newest collection titled TECH-ART: Soul for Technology®. Generally this work is rooted in age old philosophical notions of free-will pondered by Western, Eastern and contemporary scholars worldwide. Specifically, it refers to American sociologist B.F. Skinner, who argued through research that free-will does not exist and that human choice is the result of external conditioning. Within his sculpture, Reid suggests that the corporations that produce the phones and software that power our modern existence would agree with Skinner’s conclusion.

“Of a Free Will” is to be produced through a molding and cement casting process and shall be durable for public display.