In solitude more pleased to dwell
This body of work draws on themes of class and performative identity found in the 18th century phenomenon of ornamental hermits. These “living gnomes” were solitary people who were hired by wealthy estate owners to inhabit rustic garden hermitages and embody romantic notions of sensibility, melancholic insight, and harmony with nature. The collection of hand-printed pages comprises a fictional handbook produced by an imagined landowner for the education of his imagined hermit. It speculates on the inner lives of both historical figures and the nature of their relationship while drawing subtle parallels to contemporary life.
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