Images play a significant part in our experience and expectations of the world. Though I have no formal training in photography, I began taking photographs to supplement my written notes while conducting field work on gentrification in the Logan Square and Pilsen neighborhoods in Chicago.
Some Scenes from Logan Square
Logan Square is a neighborhood in Chicago a few miles northwest of The Loop and just northwest of Wicker Park. Though it has been a Latinx enclave for a few generations, it has been a hotbed of gentrification for the past decade. These photos juxtapose vacant storefronts and condo development and other indications of successive waves of gentrification.
Some Scenes from Pilsen
Pilsen has been a Mexican American neighborhood for decades. Near The Loop and several downtown Chicago college campuses, as well as the bustling West Loop neighborhood, condos, coffeeshops, hip art galleries, and upscale restaurants have a significant presence. Murals and graffiti provide some illustration of the communities’ cultures and conflict.
“Please Do Not Loot Here”
Protests for racial justice took place throughout Chicago in 2020. These photos were taken in the neighborhoods just north of Wrigley Field. Though this area saw protests and a couple of businesses were looted, I was struck by how many boarded their windows in anticipation of riots and the murals painted on the wooden panels. Perhaps many of these business owners support the Movement for Black Lives. Perhaps their sudden support was a defensive measure.
Steven Tuttle, PhD 