PHOTOGRAPHY
©2019 Michael Priorie. All Rights Reserved.
These are a couple more great murals that I found walking around Pilsen last year. There are some really incredible artists here. To cover these over should be a crime. These works of art really capture what Pilsen is all about.
©2019 Michael Priorie. All Rights Reserved.
Of all the things that have disappeared in Wicker Park, I believe this store front has remained unchanged through it all. I’ve been going to the area since about 1992-93 and this is the same sign that probably has been up for decades. Everything around them has been gentrified. Back in 1993, there was not a lot of places to go into down this stretch and the area would get sketchier the further south you went down Milwaukee Avenue. I used to have this cleaners sign as my landmark to “turn back” to safety. Of course, it probably wasn’t as bad as I originally perceived it.
© 2019 Michael Priorie. All Rights Reserved.
Walking north on Humboldt Boulevard in Logan Square, you’re immediately embraced by the vintage charm of the early 20th century homes and the green space of a grand old boulevard of a bygone era. And then you can stumble upon something like this. This is a book renting box that have been popping up in certain neighborhoods in Chicago lately. I was very fond of this particular one. RIP David Bowie.
©2019 Michael Priorie. All Rights Reserved.
Saw this while heading to the Western Brown Line stop. I was messing around with Hipstamatic at the time. It reminds me of some of the cross-processing experiments I did back in the 90’s. Cross Processing for those who don’t know is where you would shoot color slide film and then have it processed in C-41 color print film development. This rather rogue method would create exaggerated contrast and color shifts to the images.
©2019 Michael Priorie. All Rights Reserved.
So about twenty five years ago, the former LaSalle Bank had a mural depicting a tragic arson fire where three firefighters lost their lives. It was a huge mural and was magnificent. Then, sometime in the late 90’s to early 2000’s, Bank of America said it needed remove the mural due to weather damage. In response to the outcry of taking the original away, the bank commissioned some artists to remake the mural on a billboard away from the bank’s wall. The newer mural, although a close copy, does not quite live up to the original’s emotion and grace.
©2019 Michael Priorie. All Rights Reserved.
This great old sign was beckoning for me to capture it one day in 1996. Diversey-River Bowl is located on Logan Boulevard and Diversey Parkway. Much of the area has changed since this photo was taken. New condo lofts and retail have taken over by the river, Â removing the grittiness the area once had. Today, Â the sign has been updated with a LED readout. The Lathrop Homes (public housing complex) Â just east of there remains as the city is currently renovating them.
©2019 Michael Priorie. All Rights Reserved.
It’s amazing how much this area has changed since I stood in the cold drizzle to photograph this scene. This was near Chicago Avenue and Odgen. New homes went up around here since then and a lot of the older homes were rehabbed. That day, I was more interested in capturing the low clouds that shrouded the skyline. Didn’t quite see how much would change in twenty years.
© 2018 Mike Priorie. All Rights Reserved.
The Logan Square blue line station has two entrances; the main one at Kedzie, and one a block north at Spaulding. Entering at Spaulding, there’s a block long platform walk to get to where the train stops. This was taken on a Saturday morning. The fluorescent lights dominated the scene. It was unusually quiet for all of five minutes until the next train arrived and people went about their daily routine.
©2013 Mike Priorie. All Rights Reserved.
Every so often I find a mural that really makes me take notice. This one in Wicker Park is one of those. Extremely well done.
©2013 Mike Priorie. All Rights Reserved.
The Fireside Bowl that I remember from the Nineties was more of a venue to see live shows (Punk,mostly) than a place to actually bowl. It is now back to being a bowling alley again from what I hear. This area around Fullerton and California has seen a lot of growth in the last decade.
MICHAEL A. PRIORIE 