In an excerpt from from an essay on 'The Universal Artist', Andrea Carlson writes: 

Rivers's previous work involved building elaborate sets of precariously positioned building materials, ladders, tempered glass. Some of these materials are held together or strain under the pressure of ratcheted tie-downs. The objects are designed to break, or are held in a state of tension between broken and whole. Often these elaborate, hap-hazard systems of things, industrial things are nudged by the artist until they break in spectacular displays. Rivers doesn't consider his involvement performing, but can be seen entering the documentation of the resultant videos. His work speaks to irreparability, endurance and breaking points of objects. Placing himself on display is a newer direction for the artist and it appears he is seeking a personal breaking point. One of his first breaking points might have been seeking Feminist theory, when he initially decided against it.

-Published on MNartists.org