Can you see the text bordering this work? It’s from J.R.R. Tolkien’s posthumously published The Silmarillion (1977) and reads, “All have their worth and each contributes to the worth of others”—a sentiment punctuated by an infinity symbol. With delicate wire and the practice of lace making, Searle depicts Wonder Woman using her lasso as a threshold to protect creatures of land, sea, and air. The figures she chose to represent the animal kingdom—Butterfly, Dragonfly, Crow, Dolphin, Tiger, Wolf, Turtle, Lizard—are considered important by Native American and other cultures. There is also a Lotus blossom at the top and a Tree of Life at the bottom, both representing the ongoing cycle of life, as does the work’s circular format.

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