No Fixed Address

If you have driven through the streets of most suburbs, you have seen the row houses of equivalent design, decoration, and setback. Such standardization seems depressing to you, but the important thing is that it seems even more depressing to the suburbanite. As a consequence, an enormous amount of effort has been spent by suburbanites to make their homes different from those on either side and across the street. The more identical things are, the more he seeks some distinctive touch to symbolize and validate any particular tract house as his house. (Donaldson, Scott. The Suburban Myth)

For No Fixed Address, I photographed the front doors and entrances of 30 subdivision homes on a single suburban street in Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. The structure of each home is strikingly similar in design, yet to offset the architectural sameness many home owners have made a variety of changes, ranging from entrance way upgrades, to landscaping, to seasonal ornamentation. Although the monotony of the 120 photographs is striking, the subtle home improvements suggest a basic desire to personalize and demarcate.

Spring new 5 across
.
Excerpt, from Spring, 2002

Summer new 5 across
.
Excerpt, from Summer, 2002

Autumn new 5 across
.
Excerpt, from Autumn, 2002

Winter new 5 across.jpg
.
Excerpt, from Winter, 2002

nfa-5 copy good one
.
Summer, Gallery 44, Toronto, Ontario, 2004

Install shot
Winter (far wall), Oakville Galleries, Oakville, Ontario, 2003

Spring_35_retouched
.
Door 35, Spring
15″ x 19,” Archival Pigment Print, 2002

Summer_35_retouched
Door 35, Summer
15″ x 19,” Archival Pigment Print, 2002

Autumn 35
Door 35, Autumn
15″ x 19,” Archival Pigment Print, 2002

Winter_35_retouched
.
Door 35, Winter
15″ x 19,” Archival Pigment Print, 2002

Back to Projects

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.