Until early 2024, I lived in the Winter Hill neighborhood of Somerville as a renter for more than 10 years, on a block with houses that boast 3 generational families, tech bros with Teslas and immigrant families trying to make it work. The 3-unit rental home in which I lived is currently valued at $1,453,600, according to the handy Zillow estimate tool.

Once a community defined by blue collar toughness, thriving ethnic enclaves and a large artist population, Somerville is feeling the strain of gentrification and monetary forces. There is a growing pall over the city, much harder to point to than an easily vilified mobster or politician, and harder to name than the revolving titles on Development LLC’s. My own existence within this community is in flux during the economic swing, and this work reflects a reverie for spaces I know will soon not be accessible to me and many of my neighbors.

Monetary Violence is an ongoing body of work attempting to weave a narrative between the ever-changing visual landscape of the city and its community players. Those moving to exploit the market, and those trying to preserve the town and themselves from eventual erasure. All of whom feel that the invasion of wealth is inevitable; where maybe the only answer is the truth of power pretending to be progress. Though Somerville is a place of specificity, these images also serve as a similitude for many communities blighted by economic disparity.