Jack Delano, Chicago Photographer

During the late 1930's and early 1940's Jack Delano worked for the Farm Security Administration Photography Program.  He made some amazing imagery mainly focused around the train scene in Chicago.  I'd love to write a bit more about what these photographs mean to this fine city but unfortunately I'm between air planes and road trips right now and the car isn't going to pack it's self!

I will do my best to come back and caption these photographs at a later time!

New Chicago Street Art: ROA's Animal Murals

Photo: Tom Harris 

Photo: Tom Harris

This week my studio flew street artist ROA into Chicago to paint anything he wanted on our blank 22' high west wall. We had been having a problem with bad taggers and gang members tagging up our wall.  We appreciate a fine piece of street art as much as the next guy but between the poorly sprayed on names of taggers and the city battling them with coat after coat of brown paint... it was time for action.  ROA painted two rams on our wall and stopped by a little out of the way spot in Logan Square to make a beautiful mural incorporating some of the architecture of the street.

Make your way to the intersection of N. Morgan Street and W. Kinzie Street here in Chicago's West Loop to see these two giant rams by ROA.

The wall of our studio.  Photo: Tom Harris

Photo: Tom Harris

Pawn Works coordinated ROA's visit to the city with our studio here in Chicago.

Photo: Brock Brake

Two Shorts and a Blizzard

Tuesday night, for a good portion of the United States was a Blizzard Wonderland.  With Class and Work cancelled for most of Chicago, Tom Harris (the same regular contributer to this blog) and I trekked out into the maelstrom to take advantage of the event.  My roommates, Joel Fernando and Ryan Morris, had the same idea and spent Wednesday filming as well producing their own short film.

This first is the film Tom and I made using music from The Kings of Convenience, and you can watch it in HD on YouTube.

Only in the City

Slightly keeping with the theme from The Kids are Alright post.

A fellow UWM Arch Alum produced this beautiful film chronicling urban spaces in Chicago this summer.  It is a beautiful example of all of the things that you can only see in the city.

From the crowded city beach, the crowds welcoming a winning team (Blackhawks Stanely Cup Parade in the opening sequence), to little kids playing in Crown Fountain (00:47) there is one thing that permeates what it means to be urban, People.
Full Screen This.


Chicago from jv on Vimeo.

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After a year in Asia, I have returned to the states and to Chicago. My hope to continue this blog and the exploration of everything I love about design.