Friday, October 12, 2007
the shaw street house - hegemony or resistance?
Understanding whether the house is an example of resistance or hegemonic compliance all comes down to the attitude of the homeowner. What are his motives in painting his house white, installing Greek-style columns, and adorning the house with statues?
On the one hand, if he honestly believes that his home looks grander than those around it, and that he's fooling his neighbours into thinking a palace, then his actions are an example of hegemony. (He is also slightly deluded.) In this scenario, one could assume that
a) he believes his house to be better than everyone else's and
b)that adorning it with symbols of higher class raise his and his home's status. Obviously, this is an ironic action, since if really did have the money of an upper-middle class person and wanted a palace, he likely wouldn't live on Shaw street in the first place. By making his home stand out like a sore thumb, is he saying "I dont belong here" ?
Perhaps he is commenting that it is possible to live in a neighbourhood on Shaw street and still have all the cultural clout of someone who lives in a mansion? Maybe he is a very rich man who has elected to live on Shaw street, despite his millions, but wants everyone to know he ascribes to a higher class? Even then he's missing the point, because his tacky house lacks taste, something one could argue is essential to high class.
If, on the other hand, as the prof suggested, he knows how ridiculous his house looks, then his actions can be interpreted as a kind of tongue-in-cheek act of resistance. He is taking the symbols of the higher classes and putting them where they dont belong. This cheapens them, and begins to break down their meaning. If any bum on Shaw street can have Greek columns, then I guess they aren't so elite anymore. Its the same phenomenon of rip-off louis vuitton hang bags. People buy them to ascribe to a higher class, but as a result cheapen them by making them common.
So those are my thoughts...what do ya think?
# posted by sam.butler @ 3:21 PM 
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The Shaw Street house reminded me of my boyfriends' parents who live on a street where almost all of the houses - theirs included - are built in a period revival (French and English in particular) style of architecture.
A few years ago, someone tore down one of the existing houses on the street and replaced it with one done in a post-modern (i.e. lots of cement and glass) style. It looks completely different from the rest of the buildings in the area - which means that a bunch of other neighbourhood residents despise and resent its very existence ;)
The thing is that I actually like the house - I think it's really cool! Maybe not in that particular neighbourhood, but then I often wonder why we feel that houses in certain neighbourhoods should look a certain way. Or why we still think that having a well-manicured, green lawn is desirable even though we know it's one of the most time-consuming and environmentally damaging types of landscaping around. But I suppose it's obvious when you really think about it - people use their houses (or by extension, their lawns) to make a statement about themselves; to let people know what kind of person lives there without ever having to say a word.
Getting back to the Shaw Street house, I think that it could be something as simple as a guy who has always wanted to own a house with a certain style, but doesn't want to have to live in a specific neighbourhood to do it. Perhaps he likes the schools, churches, grocery stores, etc., in that neighbouhood better than the ones where a house like his may be more acceptable. Maybe it's close to his work. Maybe it's the only place he could afford. There are so many possibilities!
But no matter what the situation, I think it goes without saying that the owner of that house either doesn't KNOW or doesn't CARE about the "rules" that the majority of us tend to follow without question, and I must say that I often envy people like that.
A few years ago, someone tore down one of the existing houses on the street and replaced it with one done in a post-modern (i.e. lots of cement and glass) style. It looks completely different from the rest of the buildings in the area - which means that a bunch of other neighbourhood residents despise and resent its very existence ;)
The thing is that I actually like the house - I think it's really cool! Maybe not in that particular neighbourhood, but then I often wonder why we feel that houses in certain neighbourhoods should look a certain way. Or why we still think that having a well-manicured, green lawn is desirable even though we know it's one of the most time-consuming and environmentally damaging types of landscaping around. But I suppose it's obvious when you really think about it - people use their houses (or by extension, their lawns) to make a statement about themselves; to let people know what kind of person lives there without ever having to say a word.
Getting back to the Shaw Street house, I think that it could be something as simple as a guy who has always wanted to own a house with a certain style, but doesn't want to have to live in a specific neighbourhood to do it. Perhaps he likes the schools, churches, grocery stores, etc., in that neighbouhood better than the ones where a house like his may be more acceptable. Maybe it's close to his work. Maybe it's the only place he could afford. There are so many possibilities!
But no matter what the situation, I think it goes without saying that the owner of that house either doesn't KNOW or doesn't CARE about the "rules" that the majority of us tend to follow without question, and I must say that I often envy people like that.
I know this is an ancient post and all, but it's probably at least slightly relevant that the owner is Greek, and that it's just around the corner from two other well-known art houses: the Elephant House on Yarmouth and another on Clinton covered in tiny wooden tubes.
I've always assumed it (and the elephant and tube houses) are the fixed-address equivalent of art cars.
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I've always assumed it (and the elephant and tube houses) are the fixed-address equivalent of art cars.
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