chicago street studio project – introduction
in 2006 i proposed to the city of chicago’s department of cultural affairs to take 10,000 portraits of the citizens and visitors of chicago. with a go ahead to begin the photography, the chicago street studio project was born. the intention of chicago street studio project was to create an unprecedented art installation in the state st. + grand ave. red-line subway station, firing the portraits into structural tile and renovating the platform walls with them. it was to be a lasting memorial to the enduring love and passion of human beings, which would move and inspire people for generations to come.
during the summer and autumn of 2006 i photographed 2000+ people in 700+ portraits in downtown chicago. people walking by the temporary studio came inside out of curiosity and were delighted to have their portrait taken. everyone was welcome and they each would receive a free 4×6 print of their choosing. people being their everyday selves – mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, wives, husbands, brothers, sisters, friends – anyone and everyone. so much fun to photograph!
the chicago street studio project got some press coverage too in the chicago reader and center stage chicago, among others, and i thought the momentum of the project was moving forward at a nice pace, yet i had to go up against the cta and received a big helping of bureaucratic ramblings and general bs.
the state st. + grand ave. red-line station at time was scheduled for renovation in two years and it was perfect timing, or so i thought. long story short, the chicago department of transportation (owners of the tracks and stations) loved the idea and were ready to move forward, but chicago transit authority rejected the project out of hand and unfortunately that’s that. i wasn’t even asking the cta or the city of chicago to fund this project or the installation, only for their support and a blessing to move forward with the installation. the stink of it is, is that this installation could still go into the state st. + grand ave. station (currently being renovated at the writing of this post). i’ve spoke with the tile masons at the construction site and they said that indeed the chicago skyline motif that adorns the platform walls could be removed, one structural tile at a time, and replaced with the portraits. i unfortunately have exhausted my financing of taking the portraits for the time being and would need the cta’s and the city of chicago’s approval before continuing with the project.
that said, with so many great portraits, i didn’t want to let them go to waste and have chosen to create a book, which is taking longer than expected to put together. i have asked those who were photographed to submit short stories to go into the book; a favorite memory, an experience with a loved one, etc. all i asked is that political and religious rants be left out. over time, as i receive them, i’ll be posting a few of these along with the chicago street studio portraits i’ll be posting.
here’s a sample of what the subway platform wall would look like. the portraits would be kiln fired onto structural tiles that are 8″x8″ or 8″x16″, to give you a perspective.
p.s. if you think putting 10,000 portraits into the state st. + grand ave. red-line station is a cool idea and want to see it happen, there is nothing more powerful than a grassroots movement. write your congressional representative, your alderman, your senator, the governor, the mayor, the president, etc and tell them you want to see the chicago street studio project portraits installed in the station.
