Bonus: Rosemary

This photo, part of the larger gallery show "After the Suburbs: Artwork from the Post Cookie-Cutter Landscape," juxtaposes three different elements used in the built environment. The first and perhaps most obvious element are the structures. If one looks carefully, three buildings are present, all with varying profiles. The row house centrally located in the photo is the largest and most visually striking. This building dwarfs the bungalow on one side and the unidentified building on the opposite side. The second element is nature: a large bush has overtaken much of the frame, seemingly uncontrolled and unfettered. Man-made systems that support the suburban lifestyle complete the trifecta, as the street, curb, and a large light pole are visible. At one time, these elements complemented each other. The beauty of the natural world enhanced the solid and formal presentation of the residential structures and the support systems seamlessly blended into the background. Or did they? Proponents of the suburban lifestyle certainly think so. In contrast, however, I would argue that these elements, even in prime form, were never balanced. To me, the size of the street and lamp post create a sense of disconnect here. The lamp post looks massively out of scale compared to the other elements, almost like the "great white way" was being created on what is most likely a residential street. The scale also suggests a similar ideology to that of the Vegas (or any other) strip, as it appears that this suburb was meant to accommodate, if it was not primarily built, around and for the car versus a smaller scale trolley suburb. The pieces just don't seem to fit together in a visually pleasing way and ironically, I think that the bush (controlled or uncontrolled) is the least offensive component. Obviously, "the beholding eye" theorem is coming into play here as these are my views and assumptions based on my own cultural make-up and sense of beauty.