South Loop Garage Graffiti

Public Art comes from all different mediums displayed in a central location that has been planned for viewing.  Graffiti is often seen as vandalism by the city of Chicago. Our mayor, Rahm Emanuel, believes strongly that graffiti is a crime and that it diminishes our quality of life. Chicago offers free graffiti removal services to any defaced surface. This program has since been implemented in many other major cities around the world. So why would a South Loop parking garage allow these "vandals" to deface their entire building? Can this graffiti be appreciated as art?

There is a piece of public art located on a parking garage in the South Loop that seems to catch viewers eye to their business and the area. The parking garage is covered completely in graffiti. The graffiti has images of the Chicago skyline, CTA busses and train lines, and other Chicago landmarks hidden throughout the mural along these walls. 

The design was clearly pre-planned and shows many qualities of art within its design. The colorful lines swirl through the mural, leading your eye throughout the entirety of the piece. Every color seems to blend together perfectly with the well chosen shades in each area. Also, the intricate fading of the colors give the building a three dimensional sense on the flat walls.

 Finally, the art on this building makes this simple parking garage stand out for more than its purpose. The parking garage is surrounded by buildings faced with neutral tones brick. This short, stucco parking garage doesn't necessarily fit in with its surroundings, but as a mid-priced, covered parking garage, the artwork on the face of the building draws people in. Many people who live in the city don't own cars because of the cheaper options of public transportation. The people needing to park their cars in garages are often from out of town, and appreciate the bits of Chicago landmarks through the imagery hidden in the graffiti. The bright colored graffiti contrasts the buildings in the area, adding a bit on interest to the block.