East Chicago Tree Project

Kris Conners
Wisdom Tree
Ash tree, spray paint, metal wire, zip ties
Washington Park, East Chicago
2019

Bright, colorful rings spray-painted onto the trunk and branches give the tree a playful appearance to draw people in. A Morse Code message is created with white dots and dashes on each of the three main branches. These stylistically reference a collective tribal aesthetic, implying that we need to rediscover our roots and re-establish an indigenous relationship with the land where we live, work, and play. At the top/end of every remaining branch, spherical tufts made out of wire and zip-ties give the tree a Dr. Seuss-like playfulness of a Truffula Tree, as in his story, “The Lorax,” a lighthearted tale with a message to speak for the trees.

SPOILER ALERT! The Morse Code message says, “Root,” “Rise,” “Ripen.”

Justus Gillette Roe III
Civic Inland Spire Armor (CISA)
Ash tree, spray paint, metal wire, zip ties
Washington Park, East Chicago
2018

The people and the history of East Chicago inspired this piece. It is an abstract interpretation of the interplay between spires created by industry and local communities.  It is also an acknowledgement to the many influential graffiti artists from East Chicago. Their advanced wild style aesthetics have been an inspiration to many artists across the Midwest and beyond.

Spires of industry and churches that this community developed.

Antithesis to industrial visual aesthetic.

Influential graffiti artists from East Chicago that have influenced generations of painters in the Midwest. 

Abstract and open for audiences to apply their own narrative and interpretation.

Sandra Bacon & John Hatlestad
Civic Inland Spire Armor (CISA)
Water bottles, mattress springs, canvas, chicken wire, paint
Washington Park, East Chicago
2018

Our artwork is about transformation: taking a  dying tree and transforming it into a magical setting for whimsical owls (and a goat). It is also about giving new life to discarded articles–we recycled water bottles, mattress springs, chicken wire and canvas, and painted them in bright, bold patterns. We also placed our birds on springs, so they bob and dance with the wind.

Although we both worked on all elements, Sandie did most of the painting, as she is a painter and a muralist, and John did most of the engineering, as he is a sculptor by trade. The challenge was to build the owls simply, but with strength to withstand the weather, and have the ability to move with the breezes.

 

Everybody recognizes an owl. They have huge, bright eyes with heads that swivel almost all the way around, beautiful feathered wings and sharp claws.  They fly far distances, they can swim, and they are great hunters. They stand for mystery and magic, wisdom, and strength. We also added a goat–just because we saw some great videos of goats standing  in trees in Morocco.

 

Our hope is that the public will find our owls amusing and a bit intriguing.  We want the park to be a “commons,” a place for people to meet and play and enjoy being outdoors.