We Grew a Garden

2020
Installation Maquette
Canvas, Acrylic Paint, Timber, Furniture
9” x 19” x 10”

We Grew a Garden is the maquette of a large-scale installation by Rachel Simmons. There are two rooms, connected by a wide doorway. All the walls of the artwork are made of canvas, held taut by a wooden post and beam structure; the furniture has also been wrapped in canvas. Prior to the exhibition of the full-scale installation, Simmons plans to move about the space tracking paint. Afterwards, the entire installation will be coated in a layer of white paint, covering all the prints. The windows of the installation are made of translucent fabric. During its exhibition, silhouetted trees, moving shadows, and the faint green of grass will be projected onto the windows’ fabric, giving the impression of a yard outside. The sound of windchimes, dog paws, and footsteps echo around the installation.

We Grew a Garden is inspired by the artist’s Savannah house at the beginning of 2018. The installation testifies to Simmons’ feelings of belonging in that house and in the relationships she developed during the time she stayed there. The installation transforms over the course of 8 minutes to address events that eventually built up to Simmons moving out.

We Grew a Garden is connected to the installation, Came Home. The projections and lighting of the installation will be on a timer; every six minutes, the lights will go out and a night sequence will project on the windows for two minutes. The lights will turn off at the sound of a slamming door. The night sequence will be silent. The silhouette of a man’s head and shoulders will project on the window above the love seat in the second room. Behind the translucent fabric of the doorway, a solitary red light will turn on in the dark. The door in the second room will lead to Came Home.