The American Dream has long stood as a beacon of opportunity, prosperity, and upward mobility for those willing to work hard and persevere. It embodies the idea that anyone, regardless of their background, can achieve success through dedication and ingenuity. Yet, for many members of generations from Gen X to Gen Z this dream feels increasingly out of reach. The erosion of this ideal stems from a combination of social, economic, and cultural factors that undermine personal responsibility, traditional values, and the foundational principles upon which the nation was built.

These realities inspired this project, which explores the shift in belief surrounding the attainability of the American Dream. Drawing inspiration from nostalgic symbols of traditional America—particularly those that flourished in the post-Great Depression era, when the economy was recovering and the Dream seemed within reach—I photographed these icons to capture a sense of longing and loss. By inverting the images to create their negative versions, I transformed the original colors into their opposites, visually representing the stark contrast between past optimism and the divergent, often skeptical, perceptions of the American Dream held by many today.