My Melancholy Headdress for Suburban Decline

Mixed media
40" x 19" x 9"
2007

This kinetic sculpture explores a potential dystopian future born out of petroleum scarcity where the suburban American Dream has been abandoned for densely populated city living. A pumping oil derrick is lighted with a backdrop scene of Long Beach in the oil boom days. The miniature suburban house is illuminated with a flickering blue light as the nuclear family watches TV. This sleeping self portrait drifts to a soundtrack of 1940's era oil & auto industry commercials.