The Story Behind Old Enough
At some point, every child begins telling the people who raised them:
I can do it myself.
First, it's tying your own shoes.
Later, it's pulling away from your mother's hug because you're in junior high and someone might see.
Eventually, it becomes the impatient:
“I know.”
Old Enough is about that gradual journey toward independence and the realization that usually comes afterward.
The sculpture was inspired in part by the Japanese television series Old Enough!, where very young children are sent on their first errands alone. They venture into the world carrying a small yellow flag that they raise while crossing the street.
That little flag fascinated me.
To a child, it can represent something enormous:
I'm old enough. I can do this.
The yellow flag flying from the mast of this sailboat carries that same declaration.
The red and blue sails connect the sculpture to another inspiration, The Raconteurs' Old Enough, a song about growing up and eventually discovering that independence does not mean life suddenly becomes easy.
That's why the sailboat became the perfect vessel for the story.
Eventually, we leave the harbor.
We raise our own sails.
We decide where we're going.
And somewhere along the journey, we discover something our parents probably already knew.
Some days, the seas get rough.
Artwork Details
Artist: Enrique Del Angel
Title: Old Enough
Year: 2025
Medium: Reclaimed automotive and industrial metal sculpture
Materials: Reclaimed automotive components, timing chain and gear, industrial gears, formed sheet metal, and steel
Finish: High-gloss automotive clearcoat
Dimensions: 27¾" H × 5½" W × 14" D
One-of-a-Kind Original Sculpture
