Come Together

In this Unit 1 action project we created a sketch that addressed a specific need of a community and wrote an artist statement that explained the mural we made. The purpose of this action project was to utilize the power of images to address the needs of a community. In this action project I learned about how disconnected and segregated Chicago is and the full ability and potential murals have in regards to empowering and educating individuals. The most challenging aspect of this action project was figuring out how to visually represent my thoughts and ideas in a non literal but rather abstract form. I am most proud of my perseverance throughout the entirety of the process.

Artist Statement:
MS
Come Together 11” x 14”
11/2015
Digital drawing

Pilsen is a neighborhood located on Chicago’s lower west side. For over 150 years, Pilsen has acted as a point of entry for immigrants. Early on it was primarily Eastern European immigrants that were arriving in Pilsen. In the late 19th century, Pilsen was mostly inhabited by Czech immigrants who named the neighborhood after the city in western Bohemia in the Czech Republic called Plzeň. The population during this time also included other ethnic groups such as Slovaks, Slovenes, Croats, Austrians, Polish and Lithuanians. Beginning in the early 1970’s a shift occurred and the incoming immigrants had become predominantly Latino. Mexicans were forced to move from their previous neighborhood slightly north of Pilsen in order for the construction of the University of Illinois at Chicago. Pilsen’s new residents brought with them a culture and lifestyle that would go on to shape the neighborhood into an integral part of Chicago that it is known for today.


Today, Pilsen acts as a major cultural hub for Mexicans and Latinos alike. Culture thrives in Pilsen and includes artistic treasures nearly everywhere. Murals are one of the most popular and utilized forms of art in Pilsen and have become a major form of communication and beauty for the neighborhood. Murals are found all throughout Pilsen. Common mural locations include public and private walls, sides of homes, and train stations/platforms. There is an overall artistic vibe that is present in the neighborhood. The neighborhood of Pilsen beats with a youthful spirit and is constantly evolving and transforming. The powerful cultural heritage and artistic history Pilsen possess is primarily contained within the small surrounding area. While being a very diverse and large city, Chicago is still extremely segregated. Chicago is a melting pot of a variety of ethnicities and cultures. People tend to gravitate to what is familiar to them while staying away from the unknown. The mural I created is aimed at attempting to bring Chicago closer together and more united. Interconnectivity is an essential component for Chicago’s future. Unity and connection between all 77 Chicago communities allows for the doors of possibility to open. The invisible walls that divide the different neighborhoods need to be demolished and the notion that we are one unit has to be understood and implemented. Chicago is the sum of its neighborhoods. The disconnection of these essential parts greatly reduces Chicago’s potential for success and improvement.


My proposed mural is meant to inspire the reconnection of Chicago one viewer at a time. The use of hand prints was inspired by the hand prints and carvings found in parts of the Chauvet Cave murals in Southern France. The hand prints are also symbolic and representative of connectedness and coming together. The overlapping of the fingers was constructed in order to form a central shape representative of a star which acts as a symbol of wishful thinking and hope for the future. The colors used on the hands all represent a different CTA line which is a powerful and useful resource the city has that literally connects different areas and neighborhoods. The blotched look to the color and the slight appearance of greys on the hands reveals that regardless of what particular neighborhood an individual is from everyone is still the same on the surface and from Chicago. Thin lines from each hand travel across and around the mural until they travel through an abstractly designed ‘weaving machine’ which is representative of the initiative individuals must have in order to begin to create a connected Chicago. The once thin and curvy lines come through the opposite side of the machine transformed into bold intertwined lines. In addition to taking inspiration from the Chauvet Cave mural, I was also inspired by the use of pattern motifs in ancient Egyptian murals. The intertwined lines create a pattern motif that represents a strong, united and connected Chicago. My murals themes include both revolt and tribute. The theme of revolt is present in the sense that I am hoping viewers of the piece will want to uprise against the current situation in our city and make an effort to change something about it. The mural will be next to the 18th st train station in order to paying respect and homage to Pilsen and its wonderful history of murals. It will also be next to the train station to act as a reminder for people coming and going that there is more to Chicago than just their neighborhood and area because the train can literally place you in any off the 77 neighborhoods in Chicago. My goal is that people will be visually stimulated by my mural and impacted in a way that creates a drive within themselves to go out and be proactive about connecting and unifying Chicago one person and one neighborhood at a time.