Bold, surreal, and layered with cultural critique, “Old Rhode Island” is a striking acrylic painting that captures the heart of Washington, D.C.’s changing landscape. Set against the backdrop of the iconic Rhode Island Avenue Shopping Center, the piece cleverly juxtaposes everyday urban familiarity with an ominous twist—a UFO hovering above the city’s historic brick architecture. But this isn’t science fiction. The spaceship is a powerful metaphor for gentrification: foreign, fast-moving, and displacing what once felt grounded and communal. Rendered in expressive brushwork and saturated palette, this painting memorializes beloved neighborhood staples—Ames, CVS, Popeyes, Payless—whose presence marked a time of local culture and working-class identity. The fading signage and graffiti-like text “SPACE UNAVAILABLE” speak volumes, echoing the erasure of community spaces and economic displacement. In the lower right corner, the word "FREEDOM" floats like a ghost—ambiguous, questioned, lost or longed for. This piece is more than urban nostalgia—it is a visual protest, a tribute, and a warning. Perfect for collectors of political art, cultural commentary, or anyone with a personal connection to the D.C. metro area, this work calls attention to who gets to stay, who is pushed out, and what is left behind
Bold, surreal, and layered with cultural critique, “Old Rhode Island” is a striking acrylic painting that captures the heart of Washington, D.C.’s changing landscape. Set against the backdrop of the iconic Rhode Island Avenue Shopping Center, the piece cleverly juxtaposes everyday urban familiarity with an ominous twist—a UFO hovering above the city’s historic brick architecture. But this isn’t science fiction. The spaceship is a powerful metaphor for gentrification: foreign, fast-moving, and displacing what once felt grounded and communal. Rendered in expressive brushwork and saturated palette, this painting memorializes beloved neighborhood staples—Ames, CVS, Popeyes, Payless—whose presence marked a time of local culture and working-class identity. The fading signage and graffiti-like text “SPACE UNAVAILABLE” speak volumes, echoing the erasure of community spaces and economic displacement. In the lower right corner, the word "FREEDOM" floats like a ghost—ambiguous, questioned, lost or longed for. This piece is more than urban nostalgia—it is a visual protest, a tribute, and a warning. Perfect for collectors of political art, cultural commentary, or anyone with a personal connection to the D.C. metro area, this work calls attention to who gets to stay, who is pushed out, and what is left behind
Our box frame is milled from solid ash, hand-stained by our team and finished with a specialist wax to accentuate the grain. The frame has a box profile measuring 20mm (front face) by 33mm (depth from wall).
Includes a Giclée fine art print
Solid wood frame
Choice of frame color
Can be ordered with a mount
Perspex or moth-eye glaze options
Delivered ready to hang
