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"Nesting" is an ongoing project by artist Clarke Jackson.
Installation plans:
Planning for the project began in late February of 2010, and construction started in September. I expect the installation to be fully realized in one to two years. Components will be available for exhibit as each part is completed. The finished installation will consist of sculptures, drawings, animations and digital prints. More images will be posted as the work progresses.
About the installation:
McMansions, those cheaply made, yet expensive looking homes that were so popular before the housing market collapsed, are now considered by many to be white elephants. Generous in proportions and amenities, those cookie-cutter, over-sized homes were built with a complete lack of respect for the environment. Many McMansions now sit empty or are in foreclosure. Some are even occupied by squatters. My take is to create model McMansions that are self-sustainable and impervious to natural disasters. The title of the installation, "Nesting," conjures up a feeling of safety and comfort that keeps the world at bay, no matter what the cost.
My model homes, in keeping with real McMansions, will each have a three car garage (the norm), lofty ceilings that are difficult to heat or cool, and will be over 3,000 square feet (to scale) with three floors each. The model homes will rest on barges outfitted with their own propulsion systems in case of floods, tank treads so they can be moved over land, massive skis for snow (unlikely with global warming), huge wind turbines to generate electricity, and solar panels on the roofs. Since space is limited on each barge (McMansions are usually squeezed onto small lots despite their bulk), the model homes will also have indoor wall gardens, which are becoming commercially popular now. It's not by accident that the barge-like structures of the model homes resemble gigantic offshore oil rigs or maybe even coal mining machines. With metal plates, rivets, and industrial lighting, the structures will appear as formidable as any fortified home in a gated community could be.
Exhibiting the installation:
The barge-like structures function as a base for the sculptures as well. Rising from each barge will be the home. Rising above that will be the wind turbines. At the tallest point, red lights will slowly blink (like the ones found on towers warning planes of a structure's height). Gallery lights will be off as the work will be lit from within. In another room, the gallery lights will be on so the digital prints and drawings can be displayed.
Preliminary Sketches:
Scanned details from Workbook #29 and Workbook #30: Below are preliminary plans for "Nesting" scanned in from two of my workbooks, the 30th being the most recent.
Interior spaces:
Interior spaces of the McMansions will feature great rooms, open-concept kitchens and eating areas, media rooms, finished basements, multiple bathrooms, two half baths, and master bedrooms with their own en-suite bathrooms. By scrimping on exterior materials and details, developers calculated that pouring most of their investment funds into interior spaces would give their McMansions a higher sale and re-sale value. Kitchens would be filled with high-end, restaurant grade appliances (usually stainless steel) fine cabinetry, and hardwood flooring. One short cut was to save money by installing prebuilt, factory-made dormers on the roofs. Those were tacked on like hood ornaments. Neither serve any real purpose other than to impress.
Sculptural materials:
Light weight materials used in the construction of "Nesting" will be brown kraft paper and chipboard. For stability and longevity, all materials will be sealed in a coating of archival, pH neutal, adhesives and sealants. Heavier weight materials used for structural purposes will be plywood. Other materials will include miniature lighting, electrical wiring, and transformers.