This summer and fall, when you drive into West Chicago, Illinois, the first street banner that you see is my art work “Constraints / Freedom”. This is one of 17 banners on public display as part of the city’s cultural festival. You can find this 5 ft tall piece on Main Street, just east of the intersection with Chicago Avenue.

The pieces for this installation were anonymously judged by Chicago-based artist and Assistant Professor of Photography at Northeastern Illinois University, Nate Matthews. “Seventeen exceptional works were chosen” according to the city’s Cultural Arts Commission posting.

Freedom cannot exist without constraints. This concept seems to be an obvious one. However, given the Congressional decisions and political statements, during this US federal election season, it seems to be ignored, to the detriment of all of us.