Ross Sawyers

Ross Sawyers (American, b. 1979) Untitled 2009 Archival inkjet print 11 x 14 inch image on 13 x 19 inch paper Signed edition of 50 Ross Sawyers began constructing and photographing small-scale models of bare domestic interiors after noticing a dramatic increase in the number of high-density housing developments in his own community. His pictures mimic the uniform living spaces commonly seen in new construction, but he adds exaggerated architectural elements to suggest the ways that close proximity living demands certain sacrifices in domestic comfort. Early photographs imagine fictitious rooms with layouts that appear to accommodate unusually close neighboring buildings. Obtrusive walls and nearby windows interrupt the appeal of pristine hardwood floors, crown molding and catalog colored walls. By constructing model rooms that amplify the design compromises common in new residential developments, Sawyers highlights a tension between housing as a sellable commodity and the home as plac