The world has entered what urban researchers are calling the “century of the city.” Cities have grown rapidly, from 746 million people in 1950 to 3.9 billion people in 2014, with the majority of the global population now living in urban areas. Unfortunately, urban infrastructure has not kept pace with this exponential growth. As local governments have proved unable to maintain sustainable organization, governance, finance, and provision of services, 863 million people today live in slums all over the world.

Drawn primarily from the permanent collection of the San Jose Museum of Art, City Limits, City Life explores the impact of urban development on people and their environment. The artists represented have portrayed landscapes that are disrupted—cut short by the architectural demands of a city. Though many of these works contain images of incredible feats of human ingenuity, the artists also suggested the lack of consideration for the needs and emotions of the city’s inhabitants. Large, dark, endless overpasses and lonely subway rides shrink the status and importance of the city’s residents. The grandeur of the built environment dwarfs human presence—obliterating individuality or even a specific sense of place. Unattended children play in the street or leap from one building to another; the homeless sleep in public parks. Ongoing construction and reconstruction creates a maze in which individuals are isolated and human interaction is increasingly problematic. The majority of the works address the difficulties and challenges of urban life. However, the exhibition also highlights another side to the city: a sense of belonging through the hopeful enthusiasm generated by communities.

The city of San Jose has experienced unprecedented expansion over the last sixty years. Controversy is a familiar issue. San Jose began as and remained a farming community for almost 150 years. Rapid growth started after World War II; aggressive expansion took place in the 1950s – 60s through the annexation of land. Today, San Jose is a technological hub, with one of the highest rates of disposable household income in the United States, along with one of the highest rates of homelessness. Homelessness, unemployment, and poverty mark the economic and social climate in San Jose and the greater Bay Area. This exhibition elucidates the stagnancy of urban evolution, despite the contemporary technologies available in cities. Images of the impoverished from as far back as 1932 remain accurate portraits of cities today.

The exhibition features works by Chester Arnold, Karen Carson, John Gutmann, Lordy Rodriguez, Walker Evans, Rolfe Horn, Richard Shaw, and Weegee among others.