From 2011 to 2013, the Brooklyn-based artist Ian Strange artistically defaced abandoned houses across the United States – in Ohio, Michigan, New Jersey, Alabama, New Hampshire and New York – documenting each one to create 'Suburban', a cinematic photo and video installation now on view in Standard Practice’s pop-up exhibition space in Lower Manhattan.
Originally from Australia, Strange searched for houses that had a certain iconic quality to them, embodying his outsider’s perspective of the suburban American Dream. He then painted, burned and spray painted images on the homes (with permission of the local communities) to visually ‘archive the emotions of the people who lived in them’. The resulting series of eight houses has an eerie, post-apocalyptic quality to it, reminiscent of the Southern Gothic style as popularly depicted in True Detective or Cormac McCarthy's novels. However, Strange didn’t choose the sites to make a statement on rural America; rather, he selected them for their specific architectural features and his ability to obtain permission to use them.
Strange’s process began with sketching and drawing on paper, gathering inspiration from each home’s surroundings. ‘I like to paint on the houses – it’s a conscious act on the house,’ he says. ‘Painting the house one colour makes it lose its specificity and compresses it into one giant object.’ When explaining why he opted to burn two of the houses to the ground, Strange says, ‘It was the final work for this series. The other houses could still function as homes, even though they were painted; I wanted to offset that aesthetic destruction with a literal destruction.’
Combined with the poetic quality of filming and photographing the isolated houses, ‘Suburban’ challenges the standard view of the home as a permanent structure by exposing its vulnerabilities.
Strange searched for houses that embodied an outsider’s perspective of the suburban American Dream. He then painted, burned and spray painted images on the homes to visually ‘archive the emotions of the people who lived in them’. Pictured: Collingham Drive, 2012
The resulting series of eight houses has an eerie, post-apocalyptic quality to it. Pictured: Collingham Drive, 2012
As part of the work, two houses were even burnt to the ground. Strange says, ‘It was the final work for this series. The other houses could still function as homes, even though they were painted; I wanted to offset that aesthetic destruction with a literal destruction.’ Pictured: still frames from 'Suburban'
INFORMATION
‘Suburban’ is on view until 30 May. For more information, visit Standard Practice’s website
ADDRESS
Standard Practice
136 Bowery
New York, NY 10013
-
Blue skies beckon for the magnificent multi-functional Citroën ELO conceptFeaturing an ingenious interior and new materials, Citroën’s conceptual collaboration with Decathlon and Goodyear has create a true automotive all-rounder
-
Edra’s wintry marvel of a chair heralds the 2026 OlympicsEdra unveils a snow-white, special-edition chair by Estudio Campana to mark the upcoming Winter Olympics, as part of its ‘Casa Italia’ showcase of Italian excellence for the event
-
In South Wales, a remote coastal farmhouse flaunts its modern revamp, primed for hostingA farmhouse perched on the Gower Peninsula, Delfyd Farm reveals its ground-floor refresh by architecture studio Rural Office, which created a cosy home with breathtaking views
-
Nadia Lee Cohen distils a distant American memory into an unflinching new photo book‘Holy Ohio’ documents the British photographer and filmmaker’s personal journey as she reconnects with distant family and her earliest American memories
-
Ed Ruscha’s foray into chocolate is sweet, smart and very AmericanArt and chocolate combine deliciously in ‘Made in California’, a project from the artist with andSons Chocolatiers
-
Jamel Shabazz’s photographs are a love letter to Prospect ParkIn a new book, ‘Prospect Park: Photographs of a Brooklyn Oasis, 1980 to 2025’, Jamel Shabazz discovers a warmer side of human nature
-
The Hammer Museum in Los Angeles launches the seventh iteration of its highly anticipated artist biennialOne of the gallery's flagship exhibitions, Made in LA showcases the breadth and depth of the city's contemporary art scene
-
Thomas Prior’s photography captures the uncanny fragility of American lifeA new book unites two decades of the photographer’s piercing, uneasy work
-
Central Park’s revitalised Delacorte Theater gears up for a new futureEnnead Architects helmed an ambitious renovation process that has given the New York City cultural landmark a vibrant and more accessible future
-
Stephen Prina borrows from pop, classical and modern music: now MoMA pays tribute to his performance work‘Stephen Prina: A Lick and a Promise’ recalls the artist, musician, and composer’s performances, and is presented throughout MoMA. Prina tells us more
-
Curtains up, Kid Harpoon rethinks the sound of Broadway production ‘Art’He’s crafted hits with Harry Styles and Miley Cyrus; now songwriter and producer Kid Harpoon (aka Tom Hull) tells us about composing the music for the new, all-star Broadway revival of Yasmina Reza’s play ‘Art’
