Work From Home — Who’d A Thought It?

With a grip on the zeitgeist that is shaky at best, I rarely find myself ahead of big trends. But at least once I can claim to have been a halfway decent futurist. This 1981 piece describing the future of work was distributed by Columbia Journalism School’s news service to a handful of small newspapers. A version later appeared in the Santa Barbara News & Review, the first place I worked professionally. At the time the idea of office workers being employed at home was not widely foreseen, but I had come across a news item on a pilot program at

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Mississippi Burning movie poster

Is Ersatz History Good Enough?

Does it matter that the history found in most Hollywood films based on real events and real people is ersatz? Watching 2020’s The Trial of the Chicago 7 and its frequent falsifications, I was reminded of a piece I wrote years ago about how a fake cinematic reality can all too easily substitute for actual historical knowledge. Hollywood producers certainly have the artistic prerogative to not care about rendering an accurate account of historical events, but it’s a choice with consequences (even if often without obvious dramatic rationale). Why? Because the Hollywood version is not only the most vivid account

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A Chicago Nativity In Spectacular Fashion

I’m as guilty as anyone of overusing the concept of “greatest ever,” but this nativity scene is a legitimate candidate for the title. A full-blown, if temporary, art environment, it is the work of retired fashion designer and cosmetologist Jim McCall. You can read about McCall and the site and see more photos in this Block Club Chicago story. More art environments here.

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Dynamic Auto Parts

Most auto parts are about as prosaic as can be, but they are often made dynamic through the magic of roadside art. This gallery starts with a straightforward representation of a spark plug, picking up creative steam with the artist at International Auto Service, who wins for the bold use of color and shapes. The Illinois Starter artist went for simplification of the parts and highlighting technique. The puddle approach makes Akram Electric stand out while Rudy’s goes the more traditional cover-the-earth strategy.  Back to the  Automotive Art Gallery index

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Auto Parts Afloat

One of the most common techniques for promoting auto repair shops and parts stores is to have a large variety of images floating around the place. These three examples of folky auto parts run from the North Side to the Far South Side of Chicago . Back to the  Automotive Art Gallery index

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Used Car Neon Extravaganza

The neon extravaganza promoting the Car Town used-car lot on Western Avenue in Chicago was dismantled in 2020, having stood there, it’s believed, since the mid-1950s. The neon was complemented by some large-scale painted signs as well as a very nice Mid-Century Modern structure.  More on Car Town. Back to the  Automotive Art Gallery index

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