This site-specific installation resulted from my study of Santa Monica’s neighbourhoods. The white picket fence is an iconic representation of the American Dream, a perennial symbol for utopian domesticity in the United States. The fence provides the link between history and myth, private and public, longing and repulsion.

The installation is configured like a showroom for fence constructions, a liaison with the current 'do-it-yourself' trend. It showcases artifacts such as: slide documentation of houses with white picket fences, prefabricated fence making materials, and laminated news articles. Inside each slide loupe, I affixed the definitions and militaristic origins of the words “picket” and “fence.” Laminated news articles describe conflicts involving homeowners and the State/Municipal By-Laws, revealing the complex histories of the white picket fence.

material: glass, plexi-glass, fluorescent fixtures and bulbs, laminated news articles, Ektachrome slides and loupes, 1 x 3 x 42 picket,  2 x 4, 4 x 4, fencepost caps, galvanized brackets & deck screws, “Picket Fence White” Lifestyle acrylic latex, “Endless Meadow” Premium Plus exterior porch & floor paint.