The artwork titled “Rambo Real Estate: Homelessness” was created by artist Howardena Pindell in 1987. It is a collage that belongs to the conceptual art and postcolonial art movements. The genre of the piece is figurative, which typically means it represents forms that are recognizably derived from life.
Within the artwork, one can observe an assemblage of various paper elements arranged to form a cohesive yet complex piece. The base layer appears to consist of a dense fabric of text and linear elements, suggesting a web of intricate details that could resemble a city map or a similar form of diagrammatic representation. The scattered placements of darker rectangular shapes, which might mimic architectural forms or fragments of urbanity, infuse the composition with a sense of disarray and entropy.
The word “HOMELESSNESS” anchors the artwork with a conceptual focus, implying a socioeconomic critique embedded in the composition. Through the choice of elements and their arrangement, the artwork speaks to themes of dislocation, the built environment, and perhaps the fragility of human constructs – social or physical. The collage medium enables the artist to layer meaning as well as materials, creating a tapestry that invites contemplation on the part of the viewer regarding the societal issue at hand.
