S t r a n g e P a r a d i s e
I feel I am truly “American” in that I lack a sense of personal history or even of home. As a child, I moved no less than ten times, and have very little idea of what it means to be rooted anywhere. Strange Paradise investigates the psychological impact of this rootless and transitory existence, evident in our need for order, cleanliness, and comfort. This is manifest in our contemporary environments, specifically in our cookie-cutter architecture, sterile living and work spaces, and artificial landscapes. I find myself instinctively drawn to these places, as they comfort me and make me feel “at home” in a very frenzied world. However, I am also skeptical of these tendencies, as ultimately they play into my human inclination towards complacency and conformity.
