Portico: Georgian Revival

Vellum, tape, glue. Life-size. 2009

What was of interest to me at the Islip Art Museum was the unchanging nature of the architecture –that a building like Brookwood Hall could remain unaltered, while the way it has been used has changed many times over the years since it was originally one family’s summer home. I am fascinated by the rich history held by Brookwood Hall, and I’m attracted to its beauty. This piece mimics the grand porticoes of this building, once a family mansion, then an orphanage and now the home of the Islip Art Museum. I’m concerned with how the care once taken for the construction and design of a building can later turn into a haunting place that is beginning to decay.