Projects > Front Yard Zoo

Lawn ornaments represent how disconnected the average person truly is from nature. Many people surround themselves with these kitsch, cute, controllable, and lifeless creatures. These fake ornamental plastic animals stare blankly into the distance, destined never to move, unless blown over by the wind or removed by the owner. Lawn ornaments represent a fascination with controlling nature in every way possible. People control where nature is allowed to exist and with lawn decorations, how we want it to look. These decorations are designed to look harmless, smaller than life, clean, and most of all cute. People are ignorant of true nature. Bears are not huggable and deer do not come with permanent smiles. At first this seems like a trivial and minute problem, but it represents a larger and more meaningful issue, humankind’s disconnected relationship to nature. The main theme that I have been concerned with for the last several years is the dynamic relationship that mankind has with nature and their surrounding environments. This theme is consistent throughout all of my work. Nature is idealized and often times depicted as sublime or virginal. Through my artwork and research, I am trying to understand this ideal and sometimes surreal misconnection that contemporary society has with the natural world. Where does this misconnection begin and why is it propagated so readily in our culture? Where does the apathy originate? Through visual media, I am investigating the reasons behind our misconnection to our surrounding environments and our apathy toward nature. I want to reconnect people with where they are, what they are doing, and where we are all going.

environmental art, humor, animals, lawn ornaments
cement, plastic lawn ornament, astroturf
14in x 10in x 10in
2015
environmental art, humor, animals, lawn ornaments
cement, plastic lawn ornament, astroturf
8in x 11in x 7in
2015
Captive: Flamingo
plastic lawn ornaments, wood, astroturf, cement
23in x 17in x 12in
2014
$300
Captive: Blue Jay
plastic lawn ornaments, wood, astroturf, cement
35in x 8in x 7in
2014
$300
Captive: Bird
plastic lawn ornaments, wood, astroturf, cement
16in x 10in x 12in
2014
$300
sculpture, lawn ornaments, environmentalism, nature
plastic lawn ornaments, wood, astroturf, cement
17in x 10in x 11in
2013
$300
lawn ornaments, sculpture, nature, environmentalism
plastic lawn ornaments, wood, astroturf, cement
15in x 11in x 11in
2013
$300
lawn ornaments, sculpture, nature, environmentalism
plastic lawn ornaments, wood, astroturf
44in x 36in x 36in
2013
$1000
lawn art, environmental art, sculpture, found object
lawn ornament, wood, astroturf
2012
$1000
oil painting, kitsch, lawn ornaments
Oil on panel with found wood
48in x 24in
2005
$1200