Drive By Pictures: The Art Of The Underpass

I’ve been working on a photo project for the past month or so, documenting some of the great street art that graces the underpasses throughout Chicago. Graffiti and street art are some of my favorite things to photograph; they add interest and color to an otherwise dull space, and even if it’s publicly financed art, it’s always changing – outdoor art gets pretty hard hit by the elements.

Chicagoans love getting our art on, and thankfully, the Midwest is loaded with talented folks. We have mosaic underpasses, painted underpasses, mixed media, photo tile, you name it. One of my missions here at The Wicked Hitch is to give under-sung and under-seen artists a platform. So I set out to explore the cool art that we drive by on a regular basis.

I started my tour in the Rogers Park neighborhood. The underpasses beneath the el and the Metra tracks here display some of the most interesting public art in the city, and it makes a great walking tour. Plus, it’s close to my house so I can run back over there quickly to catch a different angle or light situation.

The El Tracks

Rogers Park has a project called “Mile of Murals” that runs along the retaining walls and viaducts along the el tracks. It’s a great walking tour of the neighborhood, and shows off some great talent.

Late last year, I parked on Albion St near Glenwood, and this mural, “Under The Willow Trees” by Kaye Buchman, caught my eye.   Unfortunately, I didn’t have my camera with me, but grabbed a couple of shots with my phone. Next time, I brought my Nikon along and walked down Glenwood, which runs parallel to the el tracks, checking out all the murals.

 

My favorite so far is located at Farwell and Glenwood. “The Guardians” by Mear One was painted in 2012, and it’s one of the most impressive murals I’ve ever seen. You can check out a panorama of this piece here.

 

Miguel Del Real painted this cool piece under the el tracks on Jarvis Ave. I couldn’t find a title or any info on when it was painted, but you can check out some of his other art here.

 

“Cityscape” by Megan Sterling can be found on W. Columbia near Glenwood.

 

Art Under The Metra Tracks

If you venture west on Pratt Ave, you will run into another nice walking tour of underpass murals along Ravenswood Ave. Running from Pratt Blvd. north to Estes Ave., there are almost a dozen murals by local and international artists.

I keep coming back to this mural by Christopher Royal, as I just love the vibrant colors and awesome shapes. Here’s my favorite shot so far, but I’m sure I’ll be back.

 

I was lucky enough to be able to meet the artist of this piece, Melon James, while he was painting this with his fiancé. He was super nice, and a homegrown Chicago artist, who has since moved on to greener pastures in Hawaii. It was so interesting to see this while it was under construction and to be able to come back a few days later to see the finished product. I’m working on a better shot of this, so stay tuned for more!

 

This is a detail of “Next To Each Other” by Zsófia Ötvös. I’m still working on a good angle to get the rest of this mural in a good shot. This was painted in 2011, and it’s starting to get a little weatherbeaten. A neighborhood dude was walking his dog when I was last there attempting a good angle, and mentioned that his dog was the model for the dog in the mural. Fun fact for the day!

Hey, there’s a show!

I’m still working on more of the city, so there will be more to come! In the meantime, some of these pieces and others will be part of a group show in the Glenwood Arts District in Rogers Park. This show is hosted by the Pub 626 group, which includes Pub 626, The Teal Room, and The Glenwood. Pub 626 is located at 1406 W. Morse Ave, right on the path of the Mile of Murals.

The show kicks off on Sunday, July 23rd, at 2pm with an artists reception. Would love to see you there!

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