Pulaski Pink Line Murals, 2005, glass mosaic tiles, waterjet-cut glass lettering, permanent publicly-sited installation at Chicago Transit Authority Pulaski Pink Line station, Chicago, Illinois, USA, three panels, 105” x 98”, 105” x 92”, 52” x 128”.

I used quotes by individuals linked to Chicago to represent broad ideas about what it means to be human. The words of these contemporary figures create meaning within the site. The quotes in this artwork were chosen to reflect a wide-range approach to human thought and understanding. Each of the three individuals whose quotes are used – Muhammad Ali, James Cone and Haki Madhubuti – was a pioneer in his field. Muhammad Ali is the original archetype for the modern poet; James Cone is a minister, writer and a professor at the Union Theological Seminary in New York; Haki Madhubuti is a Chicago-based poet and publisher who founded the Third World Press.

Mosaics fabricated by Franz Mayer of Munich.

A booklet accompanying the project, produced in collaboration with the local population, can be downloaded here.