SOPHIE PACELKO
These images show a top view of Lincoln Park, Chicago. I began with a focus on green space, as seen in the top right corner, which grew into a research driven view on systemic racism.
This city/neighborhood was chosen as it shows the dichotomy of gentrification and segregation within a cityscape. This discrimination is seen in forms of green space, to the city shaping of railroads, the implementation of bicycle infrastructure and the air quality.
This city/neighborhood was chosen as it shows the dichotomy of gentrification and segregation within a cityscape. This discrimination is seen in forms of green space, to the city shaping of railroads, the implementation of bicycle infrastructure and the air quality.
These two city blocks were chosen because of their proximity to one another but the clear discrepancies that exist within these streets. The upper street, is full of trees and plants, bicycle paths, green spaces and friendly walking paths that exist within a mixed housing and eating/shopping area. The lower street is on a railroad track across the street from a Section 8 housing area with community services for the homeless. This street lacks any green space and the sidewalks are covered in material so it is difficult to avoid walking in the road with no bike lanes.
This annotated, plan oblique highlights systemic racism that exists within Lincoln Park, Chicago. The image shows two blocks within 4 blocks of one another that highlight the innate segregation that exists within such close proximity. The top half is the predominately white, gentrified area and the bottom shows the redlined area that is segregated by the train tracks. Researching and exploring the blocks of this image, the systemic racism was obvious from Google Earth. The access to my main focus of green space and tree coverage, bicycle infrastructure, and the services offered were apparent in their differences. These main points are outlined in black, while the site specific callouts are highlighted in pink. As I moved through these pink outlines, I honed in on the history of the products within Black Culture as seen in the salon caption and comedy club.
Creating this piece gave me a new perspective on systemic racism; readings teach, but recreating the history of black Americans through researching deepened my understanding.
Creating this piece gave me a new perspective on systemic racism; readings teach, but recreating the history of black Americans through researching deepened my understanding.
This Actor-Network Theory Map is focused on the divide within Chicago. The background is a map of Chicago, with Lincoln Park highlighted in the North and South Chicago highlighted in the South. The map breaks off into two general categories, environmental and cultural and how the system racism has shaped the way these cities are treated and viewed. With the divided access to green space, health care, and schools, I was able to understand how the socioeconomics of the cities are shaped and continue to be shaped on historical divides.
These images recreate the Sedgewick Railroad station. I turned the space into an elevated urban farm. Manipulating the facade of the railroad tracks, I created scaffolding in Rhino and imagined agricultural crops growing in the slats. The large, rendered bicycle is altered into a tractor-bicycle that is sowing a line of seeds.
The space is a cultural, community center with crops lining the road and graffiti adorning the station entrance. Agriculture in the United States, once colonized, was shaped by African Americans.
As night falls, the space tranforms into a concert station filled with communication and activities. The houses at the back are Amanda Williams work from Color(ed) Series, focused on the colors of communities in regards to discriminatory housing.
The space is a cultural, community center with crops lining the road and graffiti adorning the station entrance. Agriculture in the United States, once colonized, was shaped by African Americans.
As night falls, the space tranforms into a concert station filled with communication and activities. The houses at the back are Amanda Williams work from Color(ed) Series, focused on the colors of communities in regards to discriminatory housing.