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When Gnomes Need to Clean Their Homes

Installation

Gnomes: each about 18.5” x 9.8” x 10.2”

Reused materials: foam, found objects, paper pulp, paint

2020

When Gnomes Need to Clean Their Homes is a nomadic installation that reminds people of the environmental problem of pollution caused by overconsumption and disregard for the environment. The mysterious litter-picking garden gnomes that I’ve created from repurposed materials pop-up randomly in public areas to clean up the streets and then they disappear. While each has a unique personality and posture,  they are all activists, janitors, volunteers, and immigrants. No one knows where these mini-environmentalists come from and go to, but they leave the land clean for us.

Maxine Leu Art Studio / New Paltz, New York, USA

maxineleu artstudio @ gmail.com​

© 2017-2025

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