Gallery: Street pavement artist Jim Bachor creatively fills city potholes
Jim Bachor, a mosaic tile artist, has been filling potholes in Chicago and other locations with works of art. The street artist-pothole patcher has been filling blacktop chuckholes with thought-provoking and whimsical images since May, 2013. His patches display everything from celebrities, art masterpieces, flowers, patterns and more.
Bachor explains the starting point for his work: “Potholes are universal truths—nobody loves them, everyone hates them.” He says finding a suitable pothole can be a challenge: “Actually, the most difficult part of my process is finding ideal pothole candidates to house my artwork! Most (maybe 90-95 percent) don’t work for me.”
This link outlines what the artist defines as a suitable pothole for one of his installations.
The artist says road and pavement conditions have remained fairly constant over the years since he began placing art in potholes. He tells American City & County: “I don’t think roads are in worse shape than when I started.”
A trip to Italy in the late 1990s, where he volunteered to work on a Pompeii archaeological dig, cemented Bachor’s interest in art that stands the test of time. In Italy, Bachor learned how to produce murals via the classic Ravenna method. “Trying to leave your mark in this world fascinates me. Ancient history fascinates me. Volunteering to work on an archaeological dig in Pompeii helped merge these two interests in to my art.” Bachor says: “I create mosaics that speak of modern things in an ancient voice.”
Bachor likes the permanence of the materials he uses for his chuckhole artistry. “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.”
Bachor sees a timeless nature in his creations: “Using the same materials, tools and methods of the ancient craftsmen, I create mosaics that speak of modern things in an ancient voice. My work locks into mortar unexpected concepts drawn from the present.”
To view some of Jim Bachor’s pothole art, click the gallery above. Past American City & County galleries on Bachor’s art are here and here.
Bachor’s Instagram page has videos and more images.
Michael Keating is senior editor for American City & County. Contact him at [email protected].
