Three Chicago vernacular icons, mapped and reimagined.
Acrylic on marble veneer mounted to cradled birch panel, 24” × 32”
DUKS – 636 N Ashland Ave, Chicago 41°53’37.2”N 87°40’03.0”W
Payless Mufflers and Brakes – 2219 S Western Ave, Chicago 41°51’05.1”N 87°41’07.0”W
Garcias – 6353 S Western Ave, Chicago 41°46’39.2”N 87°41’00.0”W
This painting draws from my documentary photographs of three iconic structures across Chicago’s neighborhoods: DUKS (in memoriam) - West Town , Near Ashland & Grand, where galleries now outnumber hot dog stands.
Payless Mufflers - Heart of Italy , South of Pilsen, west of Chinatown, holding onto its working-class roots
Garcia’s Car Shop - Chicago Lawn , on Western at W 64th St, a fixture in this diverse residential neighborhood
Each building’s architecture and precise location inspired the geometric forms in this painting. What appears abstract is rooted in realism—every element traces back to an actual place.
