Exhibition Dives Into the Beauty ... and Concerns Surrounding the Great Lakes

WDCB's Gary Zidek talks to artist Alexis Rockman about his exhibition, THE GREAT LAKES CYCLE.

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WDCB's Gary ZIdek talks to artist Alexis Rockman about his exhibit, THE GREAT LAKES CYCLE.

"I wanted to do a sort of populist project about the Great Lakes and how precious they are. And how little we really consider them, in terms of what a valuable resource they have been and how incredibly valuable they will be in the future" - Alexis Rockman talking about the origins of THE GREAT LAKES CYCLE.

FORCES OF CHANGE. Alexis Rockman, 2017

Each of the five murals in THE GREAT LAKES CYCLE depicts a different scene, each with multiple things occurring.

WATERSHED. Alexis Rockman, 2015

And a key sits next to each mural to give visitors some additional insight into what's on the canvas.

Key to WATERSHED

In addition to the five large murals, THE GREAT LAKES CYCLE also includes a series of water color paintings and drawings created by Rockman.

CHIMERA. Alexis Rockman, 2017

One of Rockman's water color paintings was inspired by a portion of the Chicago River formally known as "Bubbly Creek".  The stretch of water was the site of massive dumpings from nearby meatpacking facilities.  There's' a legend that there was so much oil and grease on the surface of the water, that a chicken walked across the creek.

BUBBLY CREEK. Alexis Rockman, 2017

THE GREAT LAKES CYCLE will be on display on the 4th floor of the Chicago Cultural Center through October 1. The exhibit will then continue on a tour of venues in communities around the Great Lakes.

You can find out more about Alexis Rockman here.