Kimberly O'Blenes

Art 438 final projects gallery

Artist statement

Adult children are living with their parents longer than in previous generations. My family is a prime example of this ‘cluttered nest’ phenomenon, both in terms of people and things. With three adult children living under their roof, my parents are looking towards their ‘empty nest’ future that seems a world away from the chaos and clutter of five adults living together. I hope to show the good and the bad of living in such a chaotic, cluttered home.

A cluttered assortment of jackets hanging on hooks and wicker baskets with hats and gloves spilling out of them
A family of four adults sits at a table with pancakes and syrup. The elder male is speaking and the younger male looks at his phone
A woman and dog sit on the front stairs of a house while a younger man tries to squeeze up the stairs past them
A young woman sits at a kitchen island while a middle-aged man rummages in its drawers
Three people and a dog chat in a living room. The older adults sit together on a couch with open books in their hands
A young woman stretches up her arms while laying on a big sectional couch in a rec room. Her phone is in her hands and she is gesturing. There is a train set and cars on the wall behind her.
A family's cluttered laundry room with clothes hanging on a drying rack and a full shelf of linens
A younger and older male grill peppers on the barbecue. It's night time, and the younger man wears a hoodie and toque, while the older man wears an apron over a hoodie and a ball cap.
A young woman grooms a dog on the landing in a house. The dog's paw is in the woman's hand.
A woman reads a printed paper at a kitchen table, pen in hand, while in the foreground, someone serves themselves salad
A young man in a reflective safety shirt holds a Wendy's cup in either hand, and a brown paper fast food bag in his teeth
Dirty dishes are piled up on a kitchen sink and counter
Two people decorate a kitchen for a party. There are streamers and banners reading "Cheers 21 years!"
A middle-aged couple sit together in bed reading
Two young adults sit at a table together after a meal. They are both looking at their phones.
A middle aged couple at their table. The man looks pensive and stares into the distance. The woman stands beside him reading a piece of paper. Their dog is visible in the kitchen behind them.
Four people crowd into the entrance to their house. They are either putting on or taking off coats and scarves.
The top of a fridge is cluttered with recipe books, rubbermaid bins and buckets, papers and paper towel
Two people are doing food prep in their kitchen. Two dozen muffins are cooling on a rack on a table, which also holds multiple ziploc bags of prepped food.
A woman sits at a dining room table cluttered with financial statements and highlighter pens. There is an adding machine beside her.
A man sits at a table with a collection of sprouted herbs in small pots.
A young woman pours herself a glass of sparkling water or wine.
Two people work in a kitchen together. The cupboard doors are open.
A man works on a plugged sink. He has a plunger and a box of liquid plumbing solution.
Two rows of shelves are packed with paperback books
Three people, dressed for evening winter weather, walk towards their house. The back of their van is open.
A woman stands beside her closet door. There are severl rows of hooks with necklaces hung on them on the door.
A young man plays video games in his room. Folded laundry on his bed waits to be put away.
A four shelf shoe rack groans under the weight of many pairs of shoes. Ten or so more pairs are strewn on the floor in front of the shelf.