The Other Side (2012)

Chicago is American’s most segregated city. Its hypersegregation effects not only where people live, but how they conceive of other parts of the city. The idea that the majority of Chicagoans ignore and never experience the deep beauty, suffering, and humanity of the city’s south side has always unsettled me. The Other Side is a response to that lack of experience. Inspired by the concept of a derive, I spent two months traveling through and photographing much of the south side. Then I took the images and used their addresses to find their geographic counterparts on the north side. Chicago is built on a grid, so an address like 5100 S. Halsted is reflected at 5100 N. Halsted. Thus, each image was placed at its mirror location on the north side. By inserting images of the south side into the lives of northsiders, I hope to open their eyes to the reality of the region they often fear, generalize, and misunderstand but rarely see. With the diptychs, I aim to bring the two sides of the city together, revealing their differences and similarities.