Public Works II

With the success of Public Works 1– not simply the popularity of the show but the deep connections that arose from it– it was obvious this was an enduring concept and plans went into formation for Public Works II, the second installment of a now annual design show that endeavors to map the ever narrowing space between fine art and commercial design. Like PW1, the show’s run was punctuated by Friday evening events with a rotating cast of notable speakers.

In August of 2009, Andrew Rafacz opened its West Loop doors to a summer flood of design heads, art students and collectors who made Public Works 1 Chicago’s most celebrated design show of 2009. Time Out Chicago called Public Works an ”awesome art and design exhibition”; Flavorpill touted it as “a chance to see great, tastemaking design and to explore its broader relationship to commerce and community.” New City ranked it “best design show of 2009″.

In 2010, the four visual artists of Public Works II upheld the show’s mantra beautifully: “Art & Design, for the people.” Both in their art and their attendant values these artists worked tirelessly to sustain cultural entities. They blanketed space with meaning and converted square footage into bold proclamations. 

The music world reaps the rewards of Sonnenzimmer’s subtle, painterly gig posters while the apparel industry appropriates Mike Perry’s electric zine hallucinations into backpacks and Nike dunks. Both Dan Funderburgh and Seripop explore the limits of spatial adornment, Dan through the design of delicately intricate wallpaper that balances Moorish mosaic with American op art, and Seripop via enormous street poster collages, a medium they have evolved from their monstrous rock posters and describe as “the ‘skin’ of a city, growing and shedding organically”. 

The show was a reminder that there is no saturation point for our graphic declarations. Our environment is shaped by our passing, its structure set in relief by the marks we leave on it. 

The entry point to the artwork, for many of us, can be larger cultural moments and movements–tv shows, shoes, skateboards, rock shows–the doorway for what these modern artists have to offer. Everyone can find a way in. Art & Design, for the people.