This is an amazing story from our designer of Tilda and Murphy’s Law labels, Nick Adam, which deserves to be spread around. Please link, rss, cut and paste or share via printer this real life Chicago scene and comment on non functional neighborhoods.
Credit for the mural painted four weeks ago: Thor, ShipWrek, Risk aka Erik DeBat, Nicky Dieter, Yoinks, and BR.
There I was…
… 99 degrees and high humidity, I’m on 32nd Place and Morgan Street, 3 blocks West of Halsted. The block had been flooding for 3 days due to a stripped fire hydrant the children play in. City workers did not return calls nor show up to stop the flow of water from further damaging the already flooded basements. There is trash everywhere tumble-weeding up the street, leaking bags stacked against buildings and the sun has triggered this potpourri. Ten to fifteen heads bob in and out of two, three, and four story buildings much like the “wac-a-mole” game at 1980’s arcades. They communicate amongst each other and the several groups of black and gold dressed men, women, and children. They give notice when police are arriving, if a rival crossed boundaries, or if strangers where in the neighborhood.
“YOU TAKEN PICTURES OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD MOUTHERF*@#A?? BETTER NOT HAVE ME ON THAT CAMERA. IF YOU’RE POLICE YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO ANNOUNCE YOURSELF!”
“I’m not taking any photos, a couple people and I are going to paint this wall. I’ll be taking photos of that.”
“WE ARE GOING TO WATCH YOU. DON’T TAKE PHOTOS OF US.. THE HOUSES. OR ANYTHING GOING ON.”
This is very much forgotten community, one that the 33rd Latin King Nation is in complete control. A neighborhood I’d later find out from police is the driving cause for Chicago’s murder rate to climb 18% in 2008 alone, reaching pre 1990’s numbers. Our wall is parallel with the corner the LKN holds down. A one-lane, one-way street separates us. Four days and nights (not all night) were spent painting a mural amongst the chaotic anarchy of a gang keeping control.
“GET THOSE COLORS THE F*$@ OFF THAT WALL. YOU WANNA DO SOMETHING THERE? USE BLACK AND GOLD ONLY.”
“You don’t think this is looking nice? Come over here… check it out…”
Several times what seem to be happening unprovoked nor-forewarned a swarm of the LKN would burst from all surrounding buildings assemble in the middle of Morgan St. and give chase to a passing vehicle. Vehicle were stopped by throwing a brick threw the window. Sometimes the driver would be draged to the asphalt and beaten.
“33RD BITCHES!!! AMOR DEL REY NIG%#@*H! KING LOVE! WHAT!!! WHAT NIG%#@*H!
First-hand we saw countless altercations involving that of rival gangs, police, and drug-customers which the community and children are plagued with day in and day out. Night was the worse… everything is in everyones face louder then ever and increasingly rampant like out of movies,
“I am a nightmare walking, psychopath talking
King of my jungle just a gangster stalking
Living life like a firecracker quick is my fuse”
Then dead as a deathpack the colors I choose”
COLORS, Director: Dennis Hopper, 1985
I recal twice us all bee-lining to seek refuge inside the building we were painting (they gave us the keys for that purpose). Getting in there and then away from all the windows our blood would turn to pins and needles, chilling thoughts of a bus whizzing by inches from me… or a driver-side door flying open allowing a split second veer on my bike… would fill my head…
This area of the city has since it’s date of origin been predominantly Irish and Sicilian. Much of Chicago’s police force and the entire Daley family was rooted here but long since has been transplanted. Bridgeport has grown to house a Budist temple with a large local Asian sect, several housing projects with a poorer class of whites, blacks and Mexicans, and recently several galleries and artist communities. Making the neighborhood the 4th most diverse area of Chicago. Yet I never saw any interaction… not a hello, a smile, or any form of acknowledgement.
While painting I gave great effort to positively engage every person that stopped by. Often inviting a separate party into the conversation. On the last day of painting this heavily diverse yet entirely segregated community spent the entire time together on that street talking to each other, grilling out, and commending us on bring something wonderful and new to a community that has not felt such warmth in over 15 years. As my car provided the music for the improv’d block party, one of the older gang members joked about wanting to steal my car, I joked back with a dead serious face saying, “Why do you have to make me feel uncomfortable?” While we each laugh pretty hard I sense he as I understood great comedy is based on truth. It was time to take the keys out of the car.
At the end of the night two of the kings and I swept the entire street. Debris, glass, and garbage were swept away for what I imagine was the first time since winter.
Nothing outside of general style on this wall was pre-decided or conceived before painting it. We walked into shocking hostility, that compounded with the falling economy and our independent struggles we saw destruction, felt hate, and created this. I hope the children remember our smiles, greetings and demeanor, I don’t believe they see many positive adults in their lives. I hope this mural will act as a sensory overload and will spark a curiosity that will save them from a doomed life of gangbanging.
The large image is the entire wall shot 2 weeks after painting it as seen here and as it is on the street, it remains untouched.The smaller picture is of “Lil’ C” of the latin kings. His crown tattoo is repeated above his eyes and on his hands. He is 17.
