“Jack D. Teemer’s photographs taken in American Rust Belt cities during the 1980s examine the ways in which neighborhoods and urban infrastructure have been shaped by the industry that surrounds them. His pictures quietly celebrate the ways in which humans strive to live together in the shadow of manufacturing—even in its decline.  Cinematic vistas, presenting a wide view of a city’s urban structure, set the stage for pictures that focus more narrowly on neighborhoods and individual yards. Bridges and freeways loom over homes and restaurants; fences surround each home; signs, automobiles and gardens crowd each yard; children jump from porches and play with hoses. Although many of these yards have seen better days, the diverse residents of communities who call them home cultivate and enliven their small plots of land. Teemer records these distinctive American Rust Belt stories, from the cities on the verge of economic and civic recovery to the families who live boisterously in close quarters, with great care for the human experience.”

— From the Introduction by Lisa Sutcliffe, Herzfeld Curator of Photography and Media Arts, Milwaukee Art Museum