There aren’t many artists whose work includes a line of travel trailers and an experimental breed of chickens. But then, there aren’t many artists like Andrea Zittel. Equal parts sociologist and creative type, Zittel is more concerned with questioning cultural assumptions about mundane objects than with pleasing the eye. For a recent project, she built a series of aluminum-and-steel containers - what she calls "wagon stations" (shown) - large enough to fit a human in repose. The units evoke both the ’70s family car and the Conestoga of yore, and are meant to be customized by their owners. It’s not the typical museum fare, but curators are embracing her work. The Whitney Museum of American Art is currently exhibiting 11 of Zittel’s wagon stations, and the New Museum of Contemporary Art is doing a retrospective of her creations. The former runs until June 18, the latter until May 27. - Jeff Howe
credit Courtesy of Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York
Temporary housing: Andrea Zittel’s "wagon stations"
credit Courtesy of Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York
Temporary housing: Andrea Zittel’s "wagon stations"
credit Courtesy of Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York
Temporary housing: Andrea Zittel’s "wagon stations"
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