"If You Build It...,"
archival uv pigments on brushed aluminum
48"x48"
2018
shawn saumell

In If You Build It…Dream On, urban development rises improbably from a massive stone formation set within a luminous field inspired by Texas bluebonnets. Composited from photographs taken across rapidly expanding North Texas communities, the image presents a speculative landscape where construction persists regardless of environmental context. High-rise towers and cranes crown the rock, transforming a natural foundation into a site of relentless growth.

The pastel sky and saturated terrain lend the scene a disarming softness. At first glance, the miniature construction workers and emerging buildings feel almost model-like — a scaled vision of aspiration. As viewers linger, the absurdity sharpens. Development appears untethered from ecosystem, built not from necessity but anticipation.

Across North Texas, farmland and open prairie are frequently cleared in advance of demand, guided by projected return rather than immediate need. The image reflects this speculative momentum. Construction becomes an act of belief — a promise that if something is built, it will inevitably be filled. Yet vacancy and delay complicate that faith. In this luminous, improbable landscape, ambition rises from fragile ground, suspended between optimism and illusion.

If You Build It…Dream On stages a tension between optimism and fragility, asking what happens when ambition outpaces stewardship.