Ian Strange- The Suburban Project
Ian Strange aka “Kid Zoom” is practically my brother. And as a sister, I couldn’t be more proud of his SECOND museum show about to open at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne. Entitled “The Suburban Project,” Ian has picked up where the late Gordon Matta-Clarke left off, using brick, mortar and siding as his medium. Inspired by the oddity that is growing up in suburbia, he has spent the last year or so exploring the far reaches of weird Ohio, Detroit, New York State and beyond. When my friends complete a painting in their studios, I’m impressed, but Ian has taken to painting entire houses, transforming the Tim Burton-esque cookie cutter homes into large scale installations, rendering driveways and trees into sculptural pieces by sheer proximity. The project is grandiose, powerful and most importantly totally relatable to most of us who grew up in the strict confines of the suburbs before escaping to New York in the hunt for something more “authentic,” something that made us feel alive. The homes used in this project can’t help but evoke my memories of what I most feared as a teenager, the stifling feeling of a place characterized by minivans, overweight people, too much television, where dining out meant Applebees, wardrobes were provided by Target and being “normal” was the only way to be accepted, and hell, if you weren’t married by 25 then what was wrong with you?!The Suburban Project opens on July 26th, 2013. Congratulations, buddy, and thanks.