“I wanted to create a work that emphatically rejected community. I aimed to make an anti-social sculpture. The boys in the sculpture are navigating the complex lessons of responsibility, maturity, and adulthood. But they’re also failing. This is their first test, and they’re failing on the proving grounds of adulthood.” – Tony Matelli

Lost & Sick captures a moment of crisis, where three young Boy Scouts are physically distressed, their vomiting symbolizing internal turmoil. The scene is left unresolved, making the viewer a witness to an ambiguous moment, unsure of how it began or how it will end. Matelli’s work highlights the tension between innocence and failure, inviting reflection on the fragile journey from childhood to adulthood.

"Lost & Sick was difficult because it was the first big thing I ever made, and I did it all myself while working art assistant jobs. It took about a year with that schedule… after making that work, I felt like i could make just about anything that i could imagine." – Tony Matelli