Elevated Steel and Glass

Ideas: The elevated train is the industrial jazz that flows through Chicago. With this drawing I strive to achieve that sound, visually. Another in my line of Sonic Abstractions. The rattle, the crumbling, the sparks flying down to the pavement. There is something quite specific about the ‘el’ here, its integration into the urban landscape is seamless and at the same time obtrusive. Inexorable and unavoidable. It has long been an interest of mine to visualize different senses, particularly sound. Capturing the sound of the ‘El” racing by and abstracting that into a dynamic, almost “static display of motion” is the intent. But along with that motion, that kinetic energy is the feeling of the sound. The experience of living in a place where this is a reality and connecting with the artwork in a strong and direct way is the response of most viewers. They experience this piece and their own experiences are thereby reflected in the content of the artwork. A visual display of sound, the sound of Chicago.