2015 - 2018 Insidious Progress Series

Development, displacement, decay. The cycle of mortality can be seen in the urban environment just as much as it can be seen in the human body. As an invasive species, humans dominate their environment with functional structures serving perceived needs with a short-term perspective. I have been enchanted by the visible signs of "progress" as seen in sites of construction throughout the urban area. As with any urban environment, this "progress" comes with a price tag including not only the costs of erecting new buildings, but also the demolition of notions of history and the economic ripple effects on individuals, institutions, and what is left of the natural environment. This body of work represents a mere snapshot in time from an archivist's lens. This cycle of "progress" has its own history and its own future. I seek to explore the current forces and impacts of urban "progress" and incite dialogue on the subject of our individual relationships to urban development, displacement, and decay in our daily lives.

© 2024 Aaron Wilder. All rights reserved.