The Nerve Rack (2019) was originally conceived as a site-specific installation for the former Ushaw Seminary in County Durham. This life-size mechanical figure of an eagle was placed in the chapel of St. Cuthbert’s Church, positioned directly across from a remarkable lectern adorned with a bronze eagle sculpture by the 19th-century architect Augustus Pugin. The two eagles, one mechanical and the other crafted from bronze, serve as powerful symbols of opposing spiritual beliefs in 16th-century England.

The juxtaposition of the cold, mechanical eagle with the elegant, handcrafted bronze sculpture creates a striking contrast. Through this, the artist invites a reflection on the power of suggestion and how visual images can manipulate perception and distort information. The mechanical eagle, devoid of human warmth and connection, underscores the impersonal force of technology, while the Pugin eagle, finely sculpted and rich with historical context, evokes a sense of tradition, faith, and ideological tension. This interplay between the two eagles encourages the viewer to contemplate the complexities of belief, history, and the shaping of narratives through visual symbols.