Historically, the white picket fence has been seen as a symbol of the ideal middle class suburban life in America. I wanted to use this ubiquitous American object as a commentary on a dream which has become nearly impossible for most Americans to realize. Within the boundaries of a society largely living above its own means, an unregulated banking system that plays by its own rules, and a government that idly stands by as millions of homes are being foreclosed upon, there lies an absolute truth which is that the direction we’re moving as a society has become unsustainable and toxic. The distance between the upper and middle class has increased exponentially, and within a limited timeframe, the dream for too many has shifted from living a comfortable and picturesque suburban life to wondering if today’s the day the electricity will shut off. This is the new promise of the American dream.