English Miniature Houses

My first series of miniature houses are tiny replicas of my childhood homes, and dwellings in which I felt safe as a youngster.

My father decided to sell my grandparent's house whilst I was a teenager. I knew how heartbroken my conservative grandmother would have been, knowing that her precious net curtains and cushion covers would be stacked up in a musky charity shop, and so suddenly found myself the proud owner of an array of everyday household items.  It suddenly dawned on me just how important the home and it's contents are to us, and how they form this nest of security, comfort, and protection.

I am very interested in the simple concept of the miniature. In Truman Capote's 'In Cold Blood', Mrs Clutter points out that miniature things really belong to you, that they don't have to be left behind, and that you can carry them with you wherever you go. Each house in this series can be flattened to show the interior or 'bunched up' to create an architectural form. All of my English houses are made from cardboard.