Before I started photographing the gyros signs of Chicago — now collected as The Gyros Project — I had an idea to document signs at Chicago’s hot dog stands. I had become increasingly interested in roadside signs as examples of vernacular art, and hot dog stands have long been a ubiquitous part of Chicago’s street life. The red-and-yellow red hots signage that advertised and decorated so many of them literally set the local color for the city. I ultimately decided against hot dogs in favor of gyros, however, for two reasons. First, in those days (early 1990s) there were so
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Review: John Baeder’s Road Well Taken
“John Baeder’s Road Well Taken,” by Jay Williams, Vendome Press, 272 pages, 300 color and b&w illustrations, 2015. 978-0865653191. Hard cover $45 John Baeder is legendary among roadside architecture enthusiasts for Diners,” his book of photorealistic diner paintings that turned out to be one of the most culturally influential publications of the 1970s. Baeder, the subject of a new biography by art historian and curator Jay Williams, appreciated 20th century roadsides and the buildings that populated them before they became old, when they were just ugly rather than a source of popular nostalgia.Widespread fascination with highways like Route 66 and
Continue readingFood Truck Visions: A Street Food Environment
The vibrant visual environment created by food trucks on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., is a longtime favorite at Interesting Ideas. These photos of this vernacular art experience are from our third session there, in August 2015. You can also see some glorious details at Food Truck Visions: Art of Street Food, D.C. . See our existing National Mall food truck gallery.
Continue readingGreat Gyros Signs
Here are some more masterpieces of prosaic art from around the world.
Continue readingFabulous Roadside Vistas
A sampling of wonderful vistas that line — or in some cases used to line — the roadside coast to coast.
Continue readingRoot Beer Redux: New taste test results
Having last tasted root beers in 1995, we recently did an abbreviated update. The best: Chicago’s own Berghoff. The biggest surprise: Improved performance by A&W.
Continue readingLittle Grills: Diner art from matchbook covers
Matchbook covers can be tiny masterpieces of vernacular commercial art. This set covers a favorite subject from the mid-20th Century, the roadside diner.
Continue readingRe-engineered Gyros Project
I’ve rebuilt the Gyros Project to make the pages more consistent and present some more interesting groupings. It’s still 246 of the best gyros pictures anywhere.
Continue readingThe Gyros Project 2007 Calendar
Fast food is not the usual subject of creative vision, but the gyros signs of Chicago are masterpieces of prosaic art. This calendar features photos from The Gyros Project. You can order a copy here.
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