Visualizing Gentrification In 'Remnants Of An Exodus'

Photographs by AJ Thompson. Images courtesy of the artist.

Photographer AJ Thompson documents gentrification through stunning black and white images. The mounting force of change and deep-felt nostalgia permeate Thompson’s work, making these images both visually compelling and emotionally tense. In this feature for NPR, Maura Friedman discusses the evocative work of this artist and his debut book, Remnants Of An Exodus.

“Thompson considers gentrification to be ‘a term that relates to the undermining of a community by building new empires.’ It's this visual tension — between the specifics of this neighborhood and the ubiquitous issue of displacement — that carries the viewer through Thompson's work.” - Maura Friedman