Daria Rubin

Sac·cha·rine
American Dream

Exhibition Statement
Architecture is related to the art or practice of designing and constructing buildings. But beyond functional shelter and the aesthetic and stylistic choices' architecture provides, buildings can stand as a living archive of history, innovation and cultural ideals. But where is the individual in commoditised architecture that leads to stereotypical cookie cutter houses that look like something out of a magazine? Starting from a common blueprint out of the Sears catalog of homes, I build warped and distorted model houses in saccharine colors, heavily embellished, and patterned with decaled imagery. I am exploring deceptive facades. The architecture of a house can present a simple and classic exterior but is that the truth of them?

Take in the view from any suburban street. What we see of a house from the outside does not necessarily reflect what is on the inside, the stories and hidden truths of the families and personalities who live within. Beyond function and shelter, typical suburban architecture provided packaged aesthetic and stylistic choices' catering to the dreams and aspirations of the occupant while being the living archive of history and innovation. This can easily be seen in the stereotypical, cookie cutter houses once available as a kit straight out of the Sears-Roebuck Company catalog. But at what point do the quaint ideals of the perfect suburban house and home, perpetuated by the “American dream”, collapse and go from pleasant to toxic? At what point are the ideals we strive for, no longer healthy? My model homes present sickeningly sweet façades to poke fun at and challenge these ideals.

Artist statement
When building the homes I explore the connections between the background of objects and places while also looking at the unspoken history or the effect they create. This could be the effect it has on me directly or through the culture it established in society. I investigate this by building and creating 3D forms and 2D images and then finding ways to bring them together. Architecture is related to the art or practice of designing and constructing buildings. But beyond functional shelter and the aesthetic and stylistic choices' architecture provides, buildings can stand as a living archive of history, innovation and cultural ideals. I explore this by creating decals that I apply onto 3D forms, painting graffiti and patterns, and through applying glazes. Using combinations and variations of these methods to create a conversation between how the form sees itself versus how I see it and judge it.
 
Looking at the difficulties and challenges I’ve faced and how they not only shape how I see things but determine what I’m interested in criticizing from social issues like the forgetting of religion persecution and how it silently still exists today, to the way social settings like the suburbs are toxic and deceptive, while also reclaiming narrative stained glass from the religious connotations of Christianity. I use architecture as a vessel for this because what we see of a building from the outside does not necessarily reflect what is on the inside, they have stories and hidden truths just like culture. My goal is to force people to question their own opinion or entice them to investigate the way they see things, whether they love it or hate its.