ProPublica Interviews Bakker about Police Department Portrait Project

For Professor of Art & Design John Bakker, painting portraits of  individuals is a way of affirming the value of their humanity without regard to success or failure.

He has explored that theme in different contexts, from his Galesburg Portrait Project to his series “Making Contact,” which is exhibited in the 6th District police station in Chicago’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood.

Recently, ProPublica Illinois interviewed Bakker about Making Contact, as part of an article exploring public artwork in Chicago police stations following the city’s removal of statues of Christopher Columbus.

“In some ways, painting portraits is really dumb and painting portraits of hundreds of people is ridiculous. It takes an awful amount of time,” Bakker said. “But in the current situation, I can’t think of anything more avant garde.”

Read the full article here.