Dwellings

In the late 1970s, I began creating nests in urban neighborhoods from materials found on-site. Some were large and imposing, while others were so small they’d go unnoticed by passersby. One intention was to highlight the ongoing crisis in affordable, alternative housing; another was to break the straight box-like forms of urban architecture to round & free form building. Dictated by the landscape, it becamea part of it rather that an impostion onto it.

Longing for yet living devoid of nature, these nests offered a glimpse into animal instinct—the inherent need to create a home, a temproary shelter that would protect against preditors yet, like all of us, is destined to disintegrate over time. Each site and its debris dictated the form and scale, with each nest’s architecture reflecting the unique character of its neighborhood, the culture, income, and function of its inhabitants.

I continue to build these "roadside" nests with my focus expanding to embody the experiences of immigrants, refugees, and those on the margins. Now the nests’ elements no longer reflect only the local community; instead, they are constructed from materials brought from elsewhere, symbolizing a desire to fit in while remaining distinctly foreign.