An Unusually Dark Spin on Suburban Culture: Landed by Ian Strange

Australian visual artist Ian Strange refreshes our perspective on suburban culture. From graffiti to explosions, from building a replica of his childhood home to exploring a larger suburban perspective, Ian Strange (formerly known as street artist Kid Zoom) pushes the boundaries of self-expression with each idea. Lustik opened our eyes to his latest work – the dark half-buried suburban house “Landed” on the forecourt of the Art Gallery of South Australia.

As Ian told Complex in an interview, “The last show HOME was a very personal investigation of my own suburban upbringing. SUBURBAN is expanding on that to look at the suburbs as a whole and the family home as a larger icon.” His latest installation for the 2014 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art is a site-specific sculptural work that creates a jolt in the viewer’s perspective. You know that house is not supposed to be there, and yet a half-buried black-painted 1920s suburban Australian home contrasting the surroundings is staring back at you.

The artist honestly admits that people’s reactions to his former works “really helped me to grow and understand the work as I was making it”.