"Feral" means reversion to a wild state, as from domestication. It comes from the Latin root fera, for wild beast, but it also has a connection to another Latin word, feralis, literally "belonging to the dead." Though it is usually used to describe animals, I have wondered if "feral" couldn't also be used to describe certain buildings here in Detroit. For a few beautiful months every summer, some of the tens of thousands of abandoned buildings become feral in every sense: they disappear behind ivy or the untended shrubs and trees planted generations ago as decoration. Even churches are not immune. The neighborhood churches and cathedrals that once served Detroit's diverse communities now serve mainly as a symbol of the city's incredible population loss. While a few have managed to survive decades of congregant flight, others have been adopted by new congregations and new faiths. Sadly, many beautiful churches and synagogues have fallen into ruin. The church in this photograph has served as a funeral home, and most recently as a social services organization. While not a ruin, today it sits empty, with invasive vines stretching to seal its front doors. As the neighborhoods of Detroit disappear, nature flourishes. I am interested in the duplicity of plant life in Detroit as both blindly innocent and somehow deeply sinister. In other cities, meticulously groomed and maintained ivy-covered walls are a symbol of social elitism. In Detroit, ivy flourishes as a symbol of neglect and the indomitable spirit of nature, even on houses built for gods.
+ Limited-edition, exclusive to 20x200
+ Museum quality: archival inks, 100% cotton rag paper unless noted
+ Signed + numbered certificate of authenticity included
+ Directly supports the artist
+ Handcrafted custom-framing is available
Our quoted dimensions are for the size of paper containing the images, not the printed image itself. We do not alter the aspect ratio, nor do we crop or resize the artists’ originals. All of our prints have a minimum border of .5 inches to allow for framing.
Medium:
Innova Fibaprint Warm Cotton Gloss
