Feral House #13

ARTIST STATEMENT

“Feral” means reversion to a wild state, as from domestication. It comes from the Latin root fera, for wild beast, but it also has a connection to another Latin word, feralis, literally “belonging to the dead.” Though it is usually used to describe animals, I have wondered if “feral” couldn’t also be used to describe certain houses here in Detroit. For a few beautiful months every summer, some of the tens of thousands of abandoned houses become feral in every sense: they disappear behind ivy or the untended shrubs and trees planted generations ago to decorate their yards.

As the city of Detroit disappears, nature is flourishing. I am interested in the duplicity of plant life in Detroit as both blindly innocent and somehow deeply sinister. The two feral houses selected here stood within three blocks of the border between Detroit and the old-money suburbs of Grosse Pointe: more than a municipal border, it is one of race, class and social order. In Grosse Pointe, meticulously groomed and maintained ivy walls of homes and institutions are a symbol of social elitism. In Detroit, ivy also flourishes as a symbol of the indomitable spirit of nature.

newsletter Learn more - read Jen's introduction to this edition.

More art by James Griffioen

  • Feral Church #2
  • Feral House #7

Feral House #13

by James Griffioen

  • Custom Order

    Select your print and frame:
    • 8"x10" 24
      Add frame 115
      • Black Frame 115
      • White Frame, recommended 115
    • 11"x14" 60
      Add frame 185
      • Black Frame 185
      • White Frame, recommended 185
    • 16"x20" 240
      Add frame 490
      • Black Frame 490
      • White Frame, recommended 490
  • Unframed prints usually ship within 5 days of purchase.

  • Custom orders ship 3 to 4 weeks after purchase. For faster delivery, select Ready to Ship. Quantities and selection of Ready-to-Ship art are limited.

  • amazon

ADDITIONAL PRINT INFORMATION

  • Limited-edition, exclusive to 20x200
  • Museum quality: archival inks, 100% cotton rag paper
  • Artist-signed + numbered certificate of authenticity included
  • Directly supports the artist
  • Available framed or print only

These prints are created using archival pigment inks on 100% cotton rag paper with a luster finish.

Our quoted dimensions are for the size of paper containing the images, not the printed image itself. We do not alter the aspect ratio, nor do we crop or resize the artists’ originals. All of our prints have a minimum border of .5 inches to allow for framing.

We recommend a custom frame in white solid wood with UV protected plexiglass and a white archival mat. Please note: Framed art may take up to 4 weeks to ship. Available for U.S. orders only.

  • 8"x10" print offered in 14"x16.5" frame (3/4” front profile x 3/4” side profile)
  • 11"x14" print offered in 16.5"x19.5" frame (3/4” front profile x 3/4” side profile)
  • 16"x20" print offered in 22.5"x27.5" frame (3/4” front profile x 3/4” side profile)

Would you like a framing consultation? Contact our experts: framing@20x200.com.

Learn more about our framed prints.

 

How to Frame Your Art

All of our prints have a minimum border of .25 inches to allow for framing. We do not alter the aspect ratio, crop or resize the artists' originals—quoted dimensions are for the size of paper containing the image, not the printed image itself. For exact image sizes and more helpful info, view our framing guides: