Prairie Fire

Fire, both domestic and wild, is a recurring theme in my work. In this mural design, it functions as a metaphor of transformation and rebirth. Historically, prairie fires replenished nutrients to the soil encouraging new growth. This ecological fact echoes Chicago’s history which owes so much of its identity to the reconstruction that took place after the great fire and the innovation of the steel frame skyscraper. The mural is designed to be viewed in a linear, sequential manner as viewers walk along the alleyway and still work as a cohesive whole. The first glimpse of the mural from May Street would be of a drawn curtain revealing a copse of woods overlooking a prairie in the twilight of a dusk or dawn. Through the trees one can see a ribbon of bright yellow and orange fire which leads to dark billowing clouds of smoke in blues and purples over the open prairie. Beyond that the sky lightens and in the far distance, near the end of the mural, a city of skyscrapers rests on the horizon. The mural closes with another drawn curtain, thus framing the stage. The reference to a stage set and the use of dramatic lighting are also recurring motifs in my work. It functions as a nod to Chicago’s thriving and dynamic theater scene. It also helps place the wildfire in the context of a drama or metaphor, taking some of the edge off of what might otherwise be a foreboding subject matter to some. Nonetheless, I want the image to be somewhat ominous, but simultaneously beautiful, for it is that tension between fear and wonder, dark and light, that all of my work aims to wrestle with.

Where to find it

166 N Aberdeen St. Location data: Chicago Open Data. Get directions