American Dream 2: Fairbanks, AK

Bronze, bronze braising wire, patina
10” x 38” x 10″

This piece is a continuation of my experience living on discontinuous permafrost. The dynamic nature of ground in Interior Alaska cannot be understated. Houses are built on unstable ground, and sometimes the ground which had been previously stable becomes unstable. Their foundations no longer function as foundations. They move out of level, they succumb to sinking, and they cease to provide the stability they were originally meant to provide for the structures they support, and the people who live within.

This piece is a collection of three cast bronze houses. Each stands precariously on a number of long and lanky legs formed from bronze brazing rod. The surfaces of each of the houses are textured to appear frozen and icy. Collectively, they teeter on their too long legs, as if they know that to walk away would mean toppling over. This piece is personal, rooted in the anxiety of what to do with my sinking house, and inspired by the realization that a foundation which effectively anchors a home to the earth is something that should not be taken for granted.

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