Elemental Conflagration

This is the latest collaborative artwork I’ve organized, an ACE (Artistic Collaborative Event) project. This is the first such event I’ve formally organized involving my Chicago family of The Infusion Project based artists. This event was hosted at my apartment/command center and came with a number of food, drink, and music accompaniment. The four of us got to spend time being creative together and experiencing true collaboration. After the event I refined the piece with ink, not adding anything new but rather finishing areas off and inking areas of color that needed definition. This is also the largest collaborative work we’e ever completed. After completion, I felt this particular piece needed to be titled and drawing on the experience and the expressions each person laid down, I found that each of us symbolized the 4 elements without even thinking about it. Chicago is at the heart of this piece but not in an obvious way. Abstractions represent iconography of the city; buildings, the great fire, the EL. It is a shining example of the possibilities of collaboration and working together to achieve something great.