In places where glimpses of greenery are typically limited to flowerpots and tufts of weeds sprouting up in sidewalk cracks, scenes of nature bloom in vivid color: mossy stones, subterranean pools, woodland paths and lush forest floors. Photographer Tim Simmons reminds city residents of all that lay beyond the concrete jungle in his billboard series, The Urban Land Project.
Blown up to a grand scale, Simmons’ images of pristine nature scenes are juxtaposed against the gritty surfaces of urban L.A. and Philadelphia.
But these scenes are not just a tease at beautiful, relaxing natural places unavailable to the people who may spend nearly all of their time in the city. They depict close-ups of the nature that can be found right there within the urban environment – by those who will just look.
“From the outset I have tried to produce work that captures the feeling of a place, and expresses the memory of that feeling. That is what I am trying to communicate to others.”
“This project is meant to stimulate awareness. These images against these backdrops accentuate the tension between the human and natural worlds.”

