FAHARA: CHICAGO IN VIEW

ABOUT THE INSTALLATION

ROBERT EARL PAIGE
BORN 1936, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; ACTIVE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Robert Earl Paige is a Chicago-based artist, educator, and member of the Chicago Black Arts Movement whose textile designs have helped to popularize pan-African aesthetics in US homes. Fahara: Chicago in View is an architectural intervention upon the historic Carnegie Mansion’s staircase that recalls the tradition of Chicago’s Black artists using buildings as canvases to manifest the interconnectedness of art, life, and community. Since the 1960s, Paige has been collecting images of architecture, artworks, historical figures, and designs from across the city—a visual archive that constitutes an imprint of Chicago. The artist has drawn from this sourcebook throughout his career, referencing shapes, patterns, and messages in his interior and textile designs, sculptures, and mixed-media works. Fahara—a word Paige associates with joy—honors his home city as a creative resource and celebrates its influences such as founding father Jean Baptiste Point du Sable. Draping architects Babb, Cook, and Willard’s dark 1902 oak woodwork with patterns influenced by West African textile traditions and Chicago monuments, Paige converges the influences that formed his unique aesthetic eye.

ACCESSIBILITY RESOURCES 

Fahara: Chicago in View is a textile installation influenced by West African textile traditions on the grand staircase and over the windows that tower above the staircase landing leading from the first to second floor. When we are at the top of the staircase on the second floor, we look out at the work from behind the banister taking in both the textiles and architecture of the space together. Between us and the installation a chandelier hangs from the ceiling and on either side of the textile triptych are wall lamps with lights in the shape of glowing orbs. The ceiling, banister, and walls are all made of rich dark brown wood with opulently carved details. The walls are full of rows of rectangular designs and the ceiling is covered in diamond and octagon shaped recessed details surrounded by trims of swirling patterns. The setting adds to the grandness of the textile triptych installation that hangs vertically over the windows like stained glass in a church. The triptych has a longer central piece and is flanked by two shorter pieces. During the day, sunlight beams through the outer two pieces. All three textiles have batik-like white outlines. At the top, they all have a thin section of a dusty pink and black pattern of arches that upon closer look appears like a crowd of people with round eyes peeking over each other’s heads. By the bottom of each textile there is a thin black and white section with a pattern of X’s, and the outer two textiles have an additional black and white strip of abstract intersecting lines and shapes. These designs frame the large central sections of the textiles. The middle textile features a quote in the center of a deep brownish yellow ochre rectangle. It reads, “Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in, Robert Frost”. Around it are blue, orange, and deep red designs including two faces that look like black and white sketches, building-like shapes against a warm sky, and a treble clef musical symbol among a grid pattern. The central designs of the textiles on each side are abstract curving shapes intersecting with thin vertical white lines. Ribbons of purple, orange and yellow-green loop across and overlap each other. 

A black and white abstract patterned carpet covers the stairs. The flat geometric shapes wind along the staircase like the long body of a snake twisting and spiraling. The repetition of the rippling movement coupled with the high contrast creates a hypnotic effect. At the landing, the carpet spells out “FEEL THE SPIRIT” in hand-rendered text. 

Acknowledgements

Fabrication support from the Parapluie Group including Kahari Blackburn, Matty DeVita, Michell Nordmeyer, Dorian Sulvain, and Arthur Wright.