Suburban Dreams Cathy Helps

Within contemporary urban landscapes there is a proliferation of transitory spaces termed non-places, passages of dislocation and alienation. Intermingled with, and as a counterpoint to non-places, more traditional places remain or reconstruct themselves as spaces where the individual feels more at home. In todays alienating world of temporality, dislocation and mediated images, we dream of house and garden and other modern-day myths for reassurance and stability.We yearn for the promise of the suburbs with its sanctuary at the end of the cul-de-sac, a space that we are homesick for or desire to be in. Suburban dreams of long summer days spent in a trance-like state induced by heat and boredom. We feel nostalgic for a place we may never have been. This two-part installation is a journey narrative examining these spaces where individuals conduct their daily lives.