Chicago - The Covid-19 pandemic has been a
bumpy road for many Chicagoans, but they have mosaic artist Jim
Bachor to thank for paving the way to some unexpected smiles
with four additions to his "pothole art" series installed on the
city's North Side.
Along a side street near the iconic Green Mill jazz club in
the Uptown neighborhood, Bachor has created four glass and
marble mosaics inside small craters in the pavement.
The colorful creations, which glisten in the sunlight, refer
to symbols of the city's experience with the pandemic. There are
mosaics depicting an Old Style beer can, one of Chicago's
classic brands; a toilet paper roll and a bottle of hand
sanitizer; and a red Chicago flag star, in homage to a city that
has recorded 1830 coronavirus-related deaths.
"It's a little bit of an unexpected joy ... an unexpected
grin," he said. "It's finding a little bit of humor in times
that are not funny and elbow to the ribs of us humans and the
ridiculous things that go on."
Chicagoans are all too familiar with potholes, and Bachor
has been placing tile mosaics in them since 2013 after a
particularly stubborn crater in front of his Northwest Side home
inspired him.
Chicago artist Jim Bachor. Picture: Reuters.
"Everyone can relate to potholes. It doesn't matter if you
are rich, poor, young or old ... everyone hates them," he said.
He installed the two-foot (0.61 m) pandemic mosaics three
weeks ago, following the same process used in the other 85 he
has completed across the city. Some of his other pothole works
depict daily objects like an ice cream cone as well as natural
subjects such as small animals and flowers.
Picture: Reuters.
First, Bachor spent eight to 10 hours completing the artwork
in his studio. He then hauled water, concrete and the mosaics to
the four potholes, where he spent about two hours installing
them. He returned the next day to complete the installation.
Picture: Reuters.
"We live in this weird, unprecedented time and I got to
thinking about what everyone can relate to," he said. "It was a
perfect subject matter to talk to the most number of people."
Picture: Reuters.