Meet the Chicago City Council

April 1, 2010 5:00 PM

50 Aldermen/50 Artists. Chicago gallery Johalla Projects enlisted local artists to meet with the members of the city council and create a portrait of the person they found. "The goal is just to get people involved," says co-curator Jeremy Scheuch. "I think a lot of aldermen were (initially) afraid of what this might be about." More photos here.
posted by hydrophonic (9 comments total)

A small side note, journalist and honorary MeFite Rick Kogan and photographer Chuck Osgood did a similar project four years ago, with less celebrated results.
posted by hydrophonic at 5:00 PM on April 1, 2010

"I think a lot of aldermen were (initially) afraid of what this might be about."

Maybe it's because you look like the caricature of a less-than-trustworthy artist. Your baseball cap, waxed mustache and arms covered in tattoos of odd sorts might have put them off. Or maybe they googled your name, and found your website, complete with the cartoon version of you, peeing a rainbow over your own head, or they found your facebook page, with you about to kiss the face of a dead pig, sans body.

I applaud your effort to get people involved with their city, and the result was pretty good (with some pieces that could use some polish), but you don't come across as the civic-minded sort.
posted by filthy light thief at 5:14 PM on April 1, 2010

Shoulda just pulled the mug shots off of TSG.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 5:14 PM on April 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

I think it's a great concept with some really decent execution. I also think it's a pretty shitty thing to assume that someone isn't civic minded because they have tattoos and facial hair.
posted by cyphill at 6:53 PM on April 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

Ricky Munoz of the 22nd Ward is the first one to amuse me as an image.

Though Richard Mell of the 33rd Ward is fun too.

Carrie Austin of the 34th is not bad. Chaotic.

I'd like to know how a shot of a building is a portrait of George Cardenas of the 12th, or how a cityscape is a portrait of Brian Erilly of the 42nd.

Patrick Levar of the 45th is right on the edge of being a caricature. If only the shapes had been pushed a little further…

Eugene Schulter of the 47th is a nice piece of photo-reffed watercolor, though I can't decide which one is him and which one is Some Dude. Or is he a group mind?
posted by egypturnash at 8:06 PM on April 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

@egypturnash, Schulter is on the left. The "Some Dude" next to him is Mayor Daley.
posted by me3dia at 7:42 AM on April 2, 2010

I also think it's a pretty shitty thing to assume that someone isn't civic minded because they have tattoos and facial hair.

Ah, but not all tattoos and facial hair are the same, and how you present yourself to someone who doesn't yet know you can be critical. I'm behind self expression, and don't give two jots how people dress or fashion themselves, but I was commenting on the quote from the co-curator about the responses he got from the aldermen ("I think a lot of aldermen were (initially) afraid of what this might be about.") I was speculating on how he presented himself and the project to the aldermen, and noting that his personal and internet presence may not have put them at ease.

The end results were pretty good, and it's a keen way to get folks involved in local politics, or at least get to know their local politicians.
posted by filthy light thief at 8:49 AM on April 2, 2010

"I think a lot of aldermen were (initially) afraid of what this might be about."

I wonder why.
posted by dhartung at 3:17 PM on April 2, 2010 [1 favorite]

Though Richard Mell of the 33rd Ward is fun too.

For non-Chicagoans -- that's his son-in-law Rod Blagojevich playing Kong. Mell -- one of the most powerful alders -- is widely regarded as Rod's kingmaker in getting him elected to State Assembly and then Congress, though after he became Governor they reportedly had a falling out.
posted by dhartung at 3:25 PM on April 2, 2010