City of the Big Shoulders
By Mark Bradford
About
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.
Explore More
Hear from Mark Bradford
Immerse yourself in the Obama Presidential Center audio guide to hear artist Mark Bradford explain how his monumental 40-foot mural, City of the Big Shoulders , uses salvaged materials to map the resilient, working-class history of Chicago.
Behind the Creation
Mark Bradford takes us inside his studio and shares what it means to create a layered painting that scales the three-story west wall of the Our Story Atrium in the Museum at the Obama Presidential Center.
Our Neighborhood
Visit the South Side, a place at the heart of the Obamas’ story. Discover exciting locations and events such as the South Shore Cultural Center and the annual Bud Billiken Parade.
