In these Walls

 2015 Plaster, vacuum dust, reproduced photo in frame with glass
2015
Plaster, vacuum dust, reproduced photo in frame with glass

 

Coming to terms with the human remnants of urban decay and the spirit of the things and the people left behind

These 10 plaster, glass, photograph, wood, cement, and wallpaper pieces are Dorothy Trojanowski’s expression of urban decline in a way that thoughtfully reminds us of the humanity that once made up the vibrant cities that are now poised to be erased from human consciousness.

The artist has created an interactive experience that asks you to not only ponder the significance of those who have gone before us, but to closely examine the process of destroying one thing to find another. To appreciate both what has gone before us and how we choose to build upon and evolve from there.. The artifacts in the wall are the bones of who we are today.
Throughout the opening, guests will be invited to try their hand at digging for glimpses of what has been left.
 
Explication
Between 2010 thru 2012, she and a a group of like minded performance artists from New York and San Francisco purchased properties in Detroit and moved there thinking the area held the promise of cheap home ownership coupled with the freedom to experiment in almost any way imaginable amidst a city with thousands of empty buildings, which are now referred to as greyfield. They were surprised at the amount of emotion and gravitas they felt amongst all of the abandoned places that they were free to explore.
Trojanowski found that the buildings, though devoid of human habitation and more often than not without municipal services or internal infrastructure (copper pipes, heating, water, electricity) still evoked the presence of people who had spent their lives making Detroit their home. Long conversations revealed that many of their group had the same feelings. What might have happened here? Who is it in this picture left on the wall? What did they do? Where have they gone?