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STATEMENT »
Through these photographs I explore the human urge to shape society through architecture, nature, and social engineering. The planned communities of Greenbelt, Maryland; Greenhills, Ohio; and Greendale, Wisconsin, were part of Franklin Roosevelt's idealistic vision to resettle displaced farmers and poor urban dwellers in model cities which unified the best elements of "town" and "country." Though my project is historical in nature, I create an evocation of utopia as a place and an idea. I draw inspiration for my work from my curiosity in power structures and urban planning. The resulting images examine the complex relationship between humans, nature, and the built environment, while at the same time engaging with the ambitions and shortcomings of attempts to create a perfect world.