Lost in South Chicago

This drawing is related to the previous “Chicago” drawing that I posted previously. That drawing represented a view of Chicago in the distance seen from the interstate just North of Gary Indiana. This drawing represents a view of Chicago I saw about fifteen minutes later. Way in the distance you can see the lake and the wall of buildings flanking it going off to the North, which is downtown Chicago. To the right are those curving exits from the highway that lead to those new Southern suburbs of which there are thousands, each with there own town name. To the left and up in to the middle of the drawing you see that web of bridges, roadways and exits that you have to get through in order to get into downtown Chicago.

It was only just about three minutes after I saw this view that I became hopelessly lost in South Chicago, about dinner time. It was there, amidst an enormous congested neighborhood of small corner stores, laundromats, and store front churches that I made one of those profound realizations of my life, of the type that only occur once. I realized absolutely, that before I could ever read a road map again, I would need to buy reading glasses. Reading glasses and a flashlight.

This drawing measures 6” x 8”. It is drawn on tinted cold press watercolor paper with purple wax pencil and without any white chalk highlights. It is signed with an R on the front and full signature and date on the back, Richard Britell July 27, 2001.