City of the Big Shoulders

The artwork

City of the Big Shoulders presents Chicago’s South Side as a dynamic landscape of color, texture, and movement. Created from layers of recycled paper and found materials including rope and string, the work preserves traces of everyday life within its surface. Installed across the full height of the Museum’s west wall, the work invites visitors to look closely and find familiar patterns of streets, transit routes, and neighborhoods. By keeping Jackson Park at the center of the composition, Bradford connects the Museum to the broader story of Chicago and the communities that surround it.

Location: Museum | Our Story Atrium, Atrium Overlook, and L1 Mezzanine

The artist

Mark Bradford is an artist known for large-scale works that incorporate materials sourced from the urban environment. Using paper, signage, and other found elements, he builds layered compositions that draw on the structure and movement of cities. Bradford has received numerous honors, including a MacArthur Fellowship, and represented the United States at the 2017 Venice Biennale.