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Wallpaper*’s August 2024 issue marks the second annual issue dedicated to creatives and artists in the United States of America. In conducting a deep dive into how the evolving creative disciplines define our country’s artistic identity, it seems natural to look at the one thing we all share: a home. Wallpaper* enlisted Exposure NY’s Stefan Beckman to create sets for a story on dream American homes, and the product was an envisionment of surreal–yet traditional– homes that reflect the current artistic landscape.
To seek the true definition of a dream American home, Beckman invariably went into the archives, peeling away the modern commercial consumerism and their cookie-cutter residences, and studied the homes that housed the peak of the “American Dream” era. Beckman was intrigued by numerous elements: geometric motel signs lining the highways, the silver silhouette of a Cadillac, mobile homes and trailers, slanting roofs and triangle arches. The veteran scenographer used these inspirations to curate a set that combined the traditional values of a home with dreamlike, innovative furniture, effectively creating a chiasmus of the American creative– the past influences posed as the framework that houses the future artistic visions sprouting out of its foundation.
Ultimately, Beckman intended to create an installation, a stage with diverse characters that speak and interact with each other. Couches pulled out of the 80s are found next to illusive table lamps; conventional credenzas are paired with sculptures that are not from this world; the souls of history sit next to the essence of tomorrow.
Stefan Beckman is part of Exposure NY’s set and event designer division. Exposure NY is a photography/styling agency based in New York City.
