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| AZ 1995
Travel Trailer Unit Customized by Andrea Zittel; AZ 1995 Travel
Trailer Unit Customized by Miriam and Gordon Zittel; AZ 1995 Travel
Trailer Unit Customized by Todd and Kristin Kimmell; Steel, wood,
glass, carpet, aluminum, and objects; 93 x 93 inches x 16 feet (each) |
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“A-Z 1995 Travel Trailer
Units”
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On October 23, 1995,
three teams set out from San Diego, California to test-ride a group
of travel trailer units designed by the artist Andrea Zittel. With
the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art as their final destination,
each trailer would arrive in Northern California on Halloween, a
week and some 1,600 miles later. Uniform in their exterior and overall
build, the design for the three trailers was based on the look of
a dark green station wagon with wood paneling. Working with a recreational
vehicle manufacturer, Zittel's intention from the start was that
each interior would be customized by its drivers. Reflecting the
needs and tastes of each team, the altered living spaces reflect
the life, values, and whimsy of each team. In a brochure published
by AZ Administrative Services - the artist's quasi-fictional company
- the manufacturer promises "our trailer design won't overshadow
your options."
The first team, comprised of Zittel and fellow artist Charles White,
transformed their unit into a swank lounge sporting salmon-colored
upholstery, souvenir globes, and rounded wooden shelves. Taking
a detour to the Biosphere in Arizona - a space-age ecological experiment
in sustainable living - Zittel's miniaturized house on wheels became
like a stylish, distant relative to the scientific project. Traveling
on to Death
Valley and Yosemite, Zittel and White's trailer became it's
own experiment in living as it passed through some of the most desolate
landscape in the Western hemisphere. The second trailer was driven
by Todd and Kristen Kimmell, co-editors of a travel and recreational
vehicle lover's magazine "Lost Highways Quarterly." Bringing their
2-month-old baby along for the trip, the Kimmell's outfitted their
trailer with a diaper-changing table. Basing their modifications
on the design of traditional 1930s and '40s mobile home layouts,
the Kimmell's trailer included a ballerina-shaped table leg, a face
carved into the kitchen cabinet, and vintage Liberace records on
the walls. With trailer in toe, the family set a course through
Palm Springs - a city known for its historical collection of trailer
design. The third "A-Z 1995 Travel Trailer Unit" was driven by the
artist's parents: Miriam and Gordon Zittel. Accustomed to tight
quarters, Zittel's parents live year-round on a 31 and a half foot
sail boat. Decorating their trailer in a nautical style, the couple's
week-long home included a porthole bathroom mirror, potted plants,
novels, and snapshots of the family on a sailing trip. Retracing
their 1960 honeymoon drive on Highway 1, the Zittels explored an
aspect of their youth in the midst of their retirement. Each team's
trailer reflects a nostalgic interest in the past and an American
ideal of self-sufficiency. Whether visiting a national park, taking
a baby on its first road-trip, or dipping into a romantic moment
from the past, each team used the travel trailer as an opportunity
to explore companionship and exercise personal decisions. |
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