Lifesize Dollhouse by Heather Benning

This life-size dollhouse sits in a field in Manitoba. Abandoned in the late 60s, the house was transformed into a giant dollhouse by Saskatchewan artist Heather Benning in 2007. Walls were replaced with plexiglass on the north side — opening up the colorful interior and showing off the 60s period furniture Benning used to recreate a look from the same time period that the home was abandoned...

We thought interior-enthusiasts would enjoy this installation — a great example of scale manipulation and fun.

Check out the post on Ohdeedoh for more about Heather Benning's project and other interesting dollhouse posts.

Via: mrod nation and superuse.

Comments (20)

I don't really understand why the ohdeedoh post puts this dollhouse in Saskatchewan, but here it's in Manitoba...

I never thought I'd see the name 'Saskatchewan' on AT (I live there). Neat.

So it's supposed to be art? I don't really see the point.

"I don't really see the point."

I don't either - I can't help but think that all that wood would be so much better reclaimed for "new" furniture, and what a waste of all that plexiglass, furniture and electricity.

I love it. I want to go there and run around.

I think it is terrific. Don't throw stones.

For those who don't see the point, wouldn't the paint, canvas, wood, etc. from a painting have a more "useful" purpose? Most materials for artwork could serve some other purpose, but that's not the point. The point is to make you see things differently, and maybe be inspired. None of the beautiful interiors on this website would be possible without artwork, wallpaper inspired by artwork, furniture designed by artists, etc.

I can't claim to fully understand it, but I do think this work is important. There are so many abandoned homes and farms in rural Canada, and it's as though a whole way of life is vanishing. I think the US is experiencing something similar with a general move toward big agri-businesses and factory farming, etc. I don't know if it's still true, but a few years back one could buy a house like this for only a few thousand dollars--or even less (although that could be an urban myth!).
And imagine that it was once someone's home, and all the meaning and significance that holds...I find abandoned homes so intriguing.
So to me, the artist has kind of created a glimpse what the life that used to be there might have been like, and now it's frozen in time.

A great idea and more to the point why do people when they shoot old crumbling homes abandoned, shoot them from afar? I want CLOSE UPS of the exteriors and if possible a glimpse into the interiors that have been left to rot.

In this case, noting how a place looked at a time when first abandoned is interesting as to see how one had furnished such a place some 40 years ago.

I think the coolest thing she could have done is refinish the house, keep the wall intact, and then live in the house. Awesome art, practical, and better for the environment!

I think it has some appeal. But, any vacant house might be better served giving it a family. If that is even remotely possible, ya could have shades, curtains to pull down for privacy.

I want more interior shots.

To me, it's a giant assemblage piece made from found objects. The biggest found object of course being the actual abandoned house. The entire point of dollhouses is that nobody lives in them...they fuel the imaginations of the young children that play with them. That is what art does, too.
Katy
http://fengshuibyfishgirl.com

Agreed- chicagirl- I want more interior too. And I want to live in it- with curtains of course.