brad fesmire :: artwork :: other projects

Plasticville

Almost as long as I can remember, model trains have been a presence in my life. Though, not year-round, and only at the holidays, my grandfather and later my father and myself would set up a large platform of Lionel trains each season, spending a few days in the basement setting up an imaginary land, full of saw dust roads, cars from Cracker Jack boxes and plastic buildings. During my visit home for the holidays in 2008, for the first time in 12 years ( since my father had cancer) I came home and found the platform and the imaginary world set up. The instant recognition and memory of even the smallest detail came back to me instantly and I realized the power of that nostalgia and sentiment. In particular, many of the model buildings on the platform were part of a collection called Plasticville that I had an affinity for, not only for the name, but the way the were constructed and types of buildings they portrayed. Having just recently finished a series of train inspired paintings, using the houses as a vehicle and icon for my next project seemed a logical and exciting progression. The project I would like to embark on is constructing , initially, one of the buildings full scale, using the same plastic material and exterior specifications. A full size replica would be a powerful image for many that grew up with this culture.

plasticville