BEHR Premium Plus Ultra and the City
The Colors
The Buoy
I saw this buoy at the beginning of my walk, 5:45pm. I had just walked down from the Merchandise Mart stop of the Brown Line and was standing over the river. I could hear the gentle motion of the river as it snaked its way through the city. A tour ferry was drifting along underneath me and I could hear the tour guide speaking about the aquatic inhabitants right beneath her feet. I could hear the roar of the L above me and smell the stench it left behind. The sun had just begun its dissent in the sky casting a golden hue on everything it touched. I smiled at the cartoon sticker stuck in the middle. My color, red, was associated with emergency. It was attention grabbing and urgent.
The Ad
My second color, yellow, was also used for its brightness, as it drew the eyes of casual passerby. I saw it advertising Harold Washington College at 6:16pm outside the school at the intersection of State and Lake. When I took this picture, a red line train was racing its way home above me. Restaurants and bars were coming alive as the dinner rush filled their doors. Around me, people were smoking and laughing outside doors and ladies in heels were tapping their ways inside. A man was asking for money on the curb, jingling the change in his cup.
The Life Ring
My colors were used together for brightness in another buoy near the river. I saw this life preserver case on the other side of the Wells Street Bridge at 5:52. At this point, I had walked down to the River Walk. Greeting me at the entrance was a sign marking The Eastland Disaster, where more than 800 people were killed when the steamer Eastland rolled over just a few feet from shore. I thought of this as a noticed the life preservers on the shore, thinking of the necessity of my colors for safety purposes. The smell of the running water filled my nose.
The Jogger
I noticed that my two colors, red and yellow appeared together often. I noticed this jogger on the corner of Wacker and LaSalle at 5:50pm. The sidewalk was full of other joggers who passed me as I stopped to take my creepy picture. I was surrounded by the noise of the ongoing traffic from both the busy streets. My colors seemed to go together like ketchup and mustard.
The Condiments
Hey, look, ketchup and mustard! Down on the River Walk paralleling Wacker, the riverside is populated by small restaurants and bars. The walk is filled with scattered groups of people, some jogging, others admiring the combination of skyscrapers and river, and even more sitting down to enjoy a riverside meal. This restaurant, Tiny Hatt, had open doors and an outside seating pavilion. The area was lit with string lights and soft music was playing for diners. I snagged my picture as I smelled the enticing aroma of burgers and fries.
The Fries
I wondered if my colors went together simply because they appeared together in food so often. I saw this abandoned plate of fries on the corner of Lake and Garland at 6:15pm. The street was mostly empty, consisting of the backsides of buildings and the underside of the L. A man was sleeping on the sidewalk, dressed in multiple coats and on a cardboard map not too far from me. The sunshine was fading in the evening air.
The Flowers
However, I also felt as though my colors were often used simply because of their beauty. I took this picture of flowers decorating Herald Square in the River Walk at 6:02pm. Nearby was the Chicago Remembers Vietnam Memorial. People stopped there to admire and reflect. On the other side of the river, people took in the beauty of the natural wonder of the river with the fading sunlight bouncing off the ripples of the surface. The scene was framed by amazing towers. Their windows, too, reflected the sunlight. I felt peaceful and relaxed, feeling the softness of the petals between my fingers.
The Map
Reflection:
What is mappable? What is un-mappable?
You can map streets and buildings. You can map where landmarks can be found, like sculptures, public art, monuments. You can map where all of the best restaurants are at. You can map where the parks are at. You can make a map guiding a friend to your house. You can map where you’ve been and you can map where you want to go. You can embellish a map with details. You can draw in cars and people and fire hydrants and newspaper stands. You can use technology to map in straight lines, including every single street and building. However, you cannot put on a map the feelings you have when you visit these places. A map can try. A map can include pictures or a map can be a 3D hologram, simulating actual walking or visiting. However, these maps fall short. You can only truly experience a place once you’ve been there. Feet making their own path on the ground. You cannot map a place’s smells and sounds and tastes. Although a map can guide, it cannot truly transport you.
