Photographic transfer-type on generic cardstock. Set of 200 monoprints.
Knock Knock! or I Will Never Own a Home, is visual artist Natt Cann’s 21st-century exploration of housing and ownership, delving into the emotional and psychological implications of standing before a home’s door and possessing what lays behind. This art series examines the physicality of primarily Atlantic Canadian doors and the intricate web of social, historical, and economic forces that shape our relationship with them.
At its core, Knock Knock! investigates the increasingly elusive dream of homeownership as property prices continue to soar and housing affordability diminishes, locking people out of a once tenable market. In this context, Cann’s art reflects individuals' struggles in the Maritimes while meditating on the broader forces at play. Relentless taxation, skyrocketing property values driven by predatory investment firms, and the ever-rising cost of living have created an unsustainable and unmanageable system. However, these trends are not merely products of the 2020s crises; they result from decades of economic policy, the ripples from global systems, and the degradation of localized movements. Together, these factors have shaped broken real-estate markets, leading to a rise in personal debt and homelessness across all demographics.
In Atlantic Canada, this struggle is particularly evident. Housing prices have risen dramatically in recent years, especially in urban centers, where the demand for housing and rental properties has outpaced supply. Factors such as low inventory, migration from other areas of Canada, and increased investment from out-of-province buyers have driven this surge in property values, making homeownership nearly impossible. Consequently, many have no choice but to rent, often at prices that continue to escalate beyond reach, and this dynamic is especially devastating for younger generations who are frequently burdened with student debt and job insecurity. To younger folks entering a new stage of life, homeownership is rendered a distant and increasingly unattainable dream.
This reality is mirrored across the region, where rising property values and insufficient affordable housing supply create a growing divide between those who own homes and those who do not. In many parts of Atlantic Canada, communities that once offered affordable housing options are now gentrifying, with older homes being sold or demolished to make way for high-end developments catering to wealthy entities who secure properties as investments rather than shelter. This displacement exacerbates the housing crisis and erodes the fabric of long-established neighborhoods as these income-focused investors replace local businesses and residents. To be clear, newcomers to the region do not thicken this issue but, in fact, add to existing cultural neighborhoods often strengthening their bonds and making their own doors; however, they too now find themselves priced out. It is a region in transition caught between nostalgia for a past way of life and the pressures of a rapidly evolving economic reality.
However, as Cann explores, the experience is not solely an economic issue. Throughout the series, Cann’s use of doors as symbols extends beyond the personal to include the broader historical context of architecture, particularly in Atlantic Canada. The region’s architecture, shaped by British and French colonialism, carries a significant historical weight. The charming brownstone facades of Victorian and Gothic Revival architecture, once symbols of colonial power, now evoke mixed feelings for a time when these structures were not only homes but also markers of an imperial legacy. Cann invites us to confront this complex history.
What is lost when one can no longer afford a place to call home? Knock, Knock! opens a dialogue on the symbolic nature of doors and how they represent more than just the physical entrance to spaces but also the psychological thresholds between safety, opportunity, and isolation. They serve as metaphors for human transitions, embodying moments of choice, change, and sometimes, exclusion.
Cann captures these transitions through mono-printing with photochemical transfer, reflecting memory's impermanent and shifting nature. The unpredictability of the photochemical transfer process parallels the unpredictability of life and human experiences with our homes’ doors. Each print created in the Knock Knock! series is unique, as no two transitions or experiences are the same. Transferring images like this creates one-of-a-kind prints that evoke feelings of nostalgia, longing, and loss, mirroring how memories of a past home or pivotal moment fade or become fragmented over time.
The technique also highlights the duality inherent in the symbolism of doors. Closed doors evoke longing or missed opportunities, while open doors invite curiosity, change, and exploration. The monochromatic layers of texture, shadow, and light in Cann’s prints embody these contrasting emotions, transforming a seemingly simple object into a vessel of profound emotional and psychological depth. These visual cues speak to the universal human experience of standing at a threshold, a threshold of opportunity, home, or a new phase of life.
