2019

In this work I have used the residential home as a metaphor for identity, in a response to my observations and thoughts about the importance of identity and how the house can be used to illustrate its many facets.

The individual need for personal identity is essential to a healthy state of mind. This, of course, is influenced in many ways, whether by family, culture, politics, religion, or local community clubs, the need to be accepted will always be paramount and our identity challenged.

When I finished this work it was hard not to see similarities to American folk singer and social activist Peter Seeger's work, and the song Little Boxes. The song follows his populist and political sentiments and how governments can create an illusion of autonomy as was such during the McCarthy era.

Little Boxes, is an abstract interpretation of Social Identity, where each box is made the same size, differing only in height and placed close to each other. The same size represents the need to belong and the height is the point of difference that gives us autonomy, while the close physical boundary between each box represents security.

And they're all made out of ticky tacky...

About the Artist

Neil Laredo's website