ISABELLA GUTTUSO
Undergraduate, CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY
Foundations
reclaimed wood, nails, string
Man-made structures often serve as reminders of paradoxical situations we submit ourselves to. Our homes reside in spaces knowingly susceptible to natural disaster, and are often built unsustainably for the environment of said space. We destroy mangroves that act as our natural barriers from high winds, and pave over our wetlands that drain flood waters. Yet the southeast coasts are some of the most densely populated areas in the United States. It is impossible to escape the threats. One solution is a reevaluation of our structures, past and present, in order to design safer, sustainable foundations of the future.
Foundations is a reclaimed wood structure visually based off stilt houses found along the coastal southeast states that allow residents to live in close proximity to the ocean. While creating the abnormally tall stilts, I considered the threats these houses face from rising sea level and strengthening hurricanes. The framework of the house is neutral towards any style of home, making it a metaphorical visual for any home in these areas. The ladder is based from the traditional rescue ladder, which touches on the irony of the human tendency to defy nature with the places we decide to call home.
