The Mississippi River is one of the most mythicized natural features of North America. Cutting through the continent, its fertility has made it a site of occupation and utilization since humans first settled along its banks. The Mississippi has long been the life force of the civilizations occupying it, from hunter-gatherer settlements, to the Mississipian city of Cahokia, to the indigenous nations of the Osage, Kickapoo, Miami, and Sioux, to modern-day St. Louis. In the history of the United States, the Mississippi has been utilized and exploited for trade and transportation, aiding in westward expansion. Today, St. Louis, the "Gateway to the West," continues to depend on the Mississippi to power the industry central to the city's economy.

This body of work presents twenty-four images of the industrial infrastructure and architecture established along the banks of the Mississippi River in St. Louis. The river is the backbone of much of the city's industrial operation, from the Kosciusko train yards south of downtown to the agricultural refineries of North Riverfront. This body of work provides a glimpse into the ways this natural feature has been harnessed to service humanity's needs, and the possibilities and consequences of our current society's relationship with the Mississippi.