People dwell in them, decorate them, and spend countless hours dreaming in the rooms they have enhanced to represent their own distinctive and personal styles.
From the early days, walls were covered with name tags and token mementos. Later, posters of artists and celebrities and finally the slow creep toward sophistication. Rooms grow and change along with their inhabitants.
Through a project headed by Eve Warnock, a senior in art, several Ohio State students and other creative individuals are taking the opportunity to build miniature rooms out of cardboard boxes with the hopes of eventually arranging them into a thriving metropolis scene.
“My goal is to bring together talented artists, and all kinds of crazy kids to build whatever kind of room they want in a box,” Warnock said. “It’s really interactive, and there are no restrictions. People can bring whatever they want … pictures, wire, small furniture, whatever you want to put in your room.”
The project is not limited to strictly OSU students, it is open to anyone who wishes to take time out of their daily routine and delve into arts and crafts for a few imaginative hours. Sessions take place every Saturday out of Warnock’s campus home, and usually consist of four or five participants.
“The beauty is through the simplicity of the project,” said Chris Gatto, a junior in pre-art, who later coined the project “Habitat for Insanity.” “It’s like an extension of your childhood, and things you forget about when you get old. It’s a very creative and simple project, far away from being conceptually defined.”
“I ended up making a laundry mat, and cleaning my thoughts through the purity of the project,” Gatto said.
OSU graduate Kristen Breitfeller, who is now taking classes in art therapy, is scheduled to build a room sometime in mid-February.
“OSU’s art program is very independent and conceptual, and I don’t really think of myself as that kind of artist,” she said. “I think this is going to be a great chance to get together with different people, collaborate, and not feel pressure from other artists.”
Warnock is providing an assortment of materials and fabrics for participants, but encourages people to bring whatever they want.
“I brought a few things, like paint samples and stuff to make hardwood floors and windows,” said Eileen McDonnough, a junior in fine arts.
“My room was the most normal looking, but I think I’m going to go back and build another one. It’s interesting to see what people come up with, and the project allows them to show off their personality.”
Warnock encourages participants to put all of themselves into Habitat for Insanity.
“It’s a different way of thinking because you start with a blank box, not a blank page. You can do anything,” she said.
Once achieving the desired collection of boxes, Warnock hopes to display them in a gallery setting in late spring.
