Comments on: Hoarding as art, in miniature

By: Laetitia in Australia

Laetitia in Australia — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 23:26:49 +0000

I’m glad you told us this was a miniature – I saw that first pic you have linked and thought it was a real room.

By: Susie

Susie — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:05:32 +0000

This is the coolest thing I have seen in a long time. It is so realistic. I love miniatures but this takes them to a whole new level. This should be shared with the Greenleaf Community, they would love it! Great site by the way!

By: Shalin

Shalin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:42:31 +0000

pragmatic side of me: why not do this to a regular room? less time & expense I think.

artistic/craft side: WOW – what imagination and detail! Impressive!

By: Gina Keesling

Gina Keesling — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:33:54 +0000

I don’t think art has to be pleasant to look at, or only provoke good feelings to be considered art. If it causes the viewer to think about things in a different way for having viewed it, then I think it qualifies. With that said, however, there is a lot of art that I personally don’t care for.

I probably wouldn’t have given this a second look beyond morbid curiosity, but it fit PERFECTLY into an email newsletter that I was writing for my company – promoting the sale of odds and ends products that had morphed into clutter in our warehouse. You can read the finished product here: http://archive.constantcontact.....31815.html

Keep up the good work. I enjoy unclutterer immensely.

By: Alix

Alix — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:18:59 +0000

Of course, if this were really Barbie’s trashed dreamhouse, all the garbage would be a lot more pink.

By: Anita

Anita — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:10:37 +0000

Hoarding belittled. Literally.

Impressive feat, and an interesting intellectual experiment.

By: joanna | 365declutterchallenge

joanna | 365declutterchallenge — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:10:30 +0000

Of course Barbie would be a hoarder. She has to spend so much psychological energy keeping up her ridiculous figure that she needs some outlet for all of the stress!

By: Kat

Kat — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:44:01 +0000

I agree with both the fascinating-from-a-creation-standpoint and I-don’t-want-to-own-this-art perspective. But truthfully there is not much art that I see in museums that I would like to hang in my home and with that said, I travel to many museums that display “artifacts” that are not wall worthy for me. I view this as an artifact that recreates some people’s (sad) reality – not much different from a set designer from a movie scene.

I think the most intriguing part is that she begins with a very realistic room – dishes in the sink, cups on the table – and then adds the hoard to the tiny room. I had a very detailed doll house as a teenager – complete with baseboards, electric chandeliers, tiled floors, etc – but it never had any clutter… interesting thought.

And Barbie in her “perfect” world may indeed have some flaws. Isn’t her life full of clutter? (I have twin girls with way too many Barbie accessories, a giant Barbie house from the 80′s and not one closet or storage container in her house – it’s all in bins in MY house)

By: JustGail

JustGail — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:24:03 +0000

Fascinating! I have to say that while I know art isn’t always pretty and happy, I don’t think I’d have these on my walls. On the other hand, if they were on my walls, the constant reminder of what could be might be more inspiring to get to clearing some things out. Somehow those TV shows tend to fade from my mind when it comes time to gather the fortitude to tackle the problem areas.

It might be fairly easy to make a few pieces in miniature for a dollhouse, but to do so many and have all work together in these photos – like Erin said – not easy, not fast. Well Done, Ms Becker!

By: Christina

Christina — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:13:56 +0000

The Barbie as Hoarder set-ups are examples of very good craftsmenship, but they are not art.

By: Erin Doland

Erin Doland — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:44:26 +0000

@Egirl — I’m only three courses away from a degree in painting (I changed majors to journalism mid-way through undergrad). In a couple of my art classes, I had to work in miniature and it is very difficult. One painting I did, a portrait, was only 2″ x 3″ and it took me nine days to complete. Creating itty bitty pizza boxes and stitching on tiny pieces of clothing and all of the things this artist did took hundreds upon hundreds of hours. The detail is astounding and I’m fascinated by all of the work she put into it. I’m also fascinated by the incredible “realness” of it all. The clutter provokes such strong reactions, too. She did an excellent job at creating artwork that gets people thinking about the world around them. Would I hang this in my home? Probably not. Am I glad it exists? Most certainly.

By: Jodi

Jodi — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:13:10 +0000

My first thought was it WAS someone’s house and that “miniature” referred to the size of the overall art project.

I believe art is intended to be expressive, and influence the lives of those who see or experience it. I do not think all art needs to be joyful (i.e. an artistic memorial statue remembering 9-11 would invoke sad memories for many, but would still be art).

This creation does that, it seems, for better or worse…touches lives, inspires thought, maybe will inspire change for some. The fact that its miniature is very impressive, how much work and detail must have gone into that creation!

That being said, it is a very uncomfortable picture to look at, because it truly does reflect the way some people live. I don’t like it, and I am in awe of it, all at the same time.

Thanks for sharing this Erin!

By: April

April — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 05:57:06 +0000

Some of the pictures look just like my in-laws’ house… D:

By: Another Deb

Another Deb — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 03:23:30 +0000

I’ve always been fascinated by dioramas. In my hometown in Illinois, the state museum had a room full of historical dioramas, perfectly built giving us a glimpse of a time or place that is frozen in the tiny room.

Here, as well, Barbie’s miniature mess holds the same fascination. I enjoy discovering the detail that the artist considered important enough to add to the scene.

My students are always making dioramas for their Social Studies or Language Arts class. I love seeing all of them, even the bad ones.

By: Marie

Marie — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:07:50 +0000

When I can see the miniature in its real life context, it looks fascinating, almost amusing. But when I see them without the art context, it produces too much sadness and anxiety for comfort. It reminds me of my aunt’s house, and I’m so sad that she creates that environment for herself. But I think yes, it is art, in the varied reactions it provokes. It forces us to look at the interpretations we bring to it.