Photos: The Making Of Logan Square's New Prince Mural
By Mae Rice in Arts & Entertainment on Apr 28, 2016 1:49PM
On Wednesday, we spoke with two Chicago artists currently working on commemorative Prince murals—and we sent our photographer Braden Nesin to shoot the J4F Krew's mural unfolding. Located at roughly Fullerton and Sacramento, this mural faces the Blue Line tracks between the California and Logan Square stops. It's on the second story of the building that houses X-It European Clothing Boutique at street level and, on the second floor, Look Better Hair Salon (2950 W. Fullerton Ave.).
In the photos above, Kel 4 of J4F Krew, 36, works in an army jacket and bright red sneakers, often with a camo bandanna wrapped around his nose and mouth. (He's on the rooftop with his pitbull, Chula.) Kel's working with Alexander, another J4F member, to add detail to Prince's face with a paper stencil, and give the mural crisper black outlines. Alexander, who wears a gray crewneck sweatshirt or a navy blue T-shirt in the photos above, told Chicagoist he moved to Chicago from Texas less than a month ago.
Kel says the mural should be finished by Sunday, when the crew plans to have a barbecue on the building's rooftop, spitting distance from passing trains. By then, the mural will feature the message "All I want is to see you laugh," a lyric from "Purple Rain," across the top, Kel said. Along the bottom of the mural, against a blue background, will be the guitar sheet music for "Purple Rain."