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HOUSE + HOME

"House of memories that grow
like shadows out of Allan Poe." Derek Walcott

The word 'home' can mean anything from the place where you and your family live, to your country of origin, to the place where you start a game. In this section we concentrate on the first definition but in your research and discussion you should consider all possible meanings.

Home can be cosy and safe, warm and familiar. But it can also be a troubling space with uncomfortable memories and hidden fears. Can you remember,as a small child, being afraid of what was under the bed or in the shadow behind the door?

Domestic spaces have long been a subject of painting and more recently of photography, being centred on the family. Houses and homes are also the heart of a vast design industry supplying anything from architecture and interior design to furniture and appliances to wallpaper and small decorative ornaments.

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Permindar Kaur - Untitled, 1993 (1)
  • What does 'home' mean to you?
  • What is a woman's place in the home?
  • What is your favourite place at home? What is your least favourite place?
  • If walls could talk, what tales would your house tell?
  • How has the home been represented around the world by a) artists and b) advertising?

DISCUSS

RESEARCH

BRAINSTORM

DESCRIBE

COMPARE

Alison Marchant - Homeless History, 1990 (1)

"Because she has lived alone, her house is the product of nothing but herself and necessity." Michael Ondaatje

Many cultures, ancient and modern, have household gods which preside over a dwelling or parts of a home, ensuring safety and harmony. Feng Shui, for instance, is the ancient Chinese art which aims to ensure spiritual balance and good fortune within a space.

A number of artists, have explored the idea of home as the space of narrative, examining the many stories held within. For some artists it has also been a space of creative production. The artists featured here have begun deconstructing the meanings and histories of the domestic (often female) space and the relationship between home and work, public and private, history and class.This section features the work of sculptor Permindar Kaur and Alison Marchant who uses personal and public archive photography and testimony.

Kaur is one of nine contemporary artists who have designed artworks for the home to be sold through Sainsbury's Homebase stores: http://www.homebase.co.uk Professor Colin Painter, who proposed this collaboration feels "the home is more important as a location for art than a gallery, museum or education institution." What do you think?

Some other contemporary artists whose work relates to this area are: