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bachor fills unsightly city potholes with vibrant glass and marble mosaics
(above) strawberry ice cream sandwich | may, 2015 | väinönkatu 14, 40100 jyväskylä, finland
all images courtesy of bachor

 

 

 

about three years ago, jim bachor began to beautify the streets of his native chicago by filling the city’s potholes with vibrant glass and marble mosaics. his first concepts and early explorations played with serial numbers, to represent the vast quantities of holes in the street; phone numbers of nearby auto shops, to repair damage caused by them; flowers, as an elegant juxtaposition to the universally ugly pothole; and last year’s 10 piece campaign ‘treats in the streets’, which featured classic ice cream sweets. now, with pothole season soon upon us, bachor is seeking funding on kickstarter to finance a new series of permanent street artworks. see an interactive map of the already completed pieces here.  

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single scoop ice cream cone | may, 2015
kauppakatu 2, 40100 jyväskylä, finland

 

 

 

‘the permanence of the art form is what drew me mosaics first,’ bachor says. ‘marble and glass do not fade. mortar is mortar. an ancient mosaic looks exactly as intended by the artist who produced it over two millennia ago. what else can claim that kind of staying power? I find this idea simply amazing. since then I’ve devoted myself to changing people’s perception of what a mosaic could be. using the same materials, tools and methods of the archaic craftsmen, I create mosaics that speak of modern things in an ancient voice. from junk food to coffee to breakfast cereal, my work permanently locks into mortar unexpected concepts drawn from the present.’

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bombpop | april, 2015
443-449 north armour street, chicago, il 60642

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push up | may, 2015
835-849 north hudson avenue, chicago, il 60610

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strawberry shortcake | june, 2015
2158 w 18th place, chicago | N 41º 51′ 24.08″, W 87º 40′ 51.40″

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100 block of north ada, chicago | 41° 52′ 58.91″, 87° 39′ 37.80″

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100 block of north racine, chicago | 41° 53′ 01.05″, 87° 39′ 24.12″

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250 north green, chicago | 41° 53′ 10.72″, 87° 38′ 55.48″

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100 block of north sangamon, chicago | 41° 53′ 05.57″, 87° 39′ 03.28″

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burberry | june, 2015
1362 w. fulton st., chicago | N 41º 53′ 11.80″, W 87º 39′ 39.40″

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louis vuitton | july, 2015
4800 west gunnison, chicago | N 41º 58′ 08.12″, W 87º 44′ 57.62″

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gucci | august, 2015
1099 w fulton st, chicago | N 41º 53′ 12.12″, W 87º 39′ 16.02″

 

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