Knot Mural Comes to West Face of New Apartment Building at Balbo and Wabash

DNAinfo has the scoop on some new street art on the west face of the new apartment building at Balbo and Wabash:

The latest mural in the South Loop is "Beacon," a 16-story piece with a knot that ties together themes of the city's diversity and post-Fire rebirth.

The 165-foot-tall mural at 30 E. Balbo Ave. is the work of Jeff Zimmermann, who's other big murals include works at Oak Street Beach and the 606.

Zimmermann, who lives in Humboldt Park, said he finished "Beacon" last week after about a month of work. The ground floors of the mural show jagged shards of color reminiscent of flames, while the big, multi-colored knot on its upper floors represents Chicago's diverse population. When bound together, the people are stronger, Zimmermann said.

"You bring them together with tension and force, they can work together as one whole," Zimmermann said.

The mural at Balbo and Wabash avenues is a new addition to the artsy streetscape of Printers Row, which is known for big murals on vintage loft buildings, especially on Wabash. Zimmermann's is a rare mural on a new apartment building that opened just last year. The painting will be visible to riders on Downtown "L" tracks.