Photo Courtesy of @ashley.galloway on Instagram
Most of us are very familiar with these playful geese that can be seen on walls all over the north-side of Chicago, but very little has been written about the artist himself. Going by the name Goosenek, this Logan Square native was inspired to create street art after seeing works by Snacki and Noteef while riding the Red Line.
When asked what drove Goosenek to finally start creating street art, and particularly his trademark goose on a regular basis, he answered, “A delivery driver at a pizza place I worked at told me to come “bombing” with him after he saw some of my illustrations, so I did that. I painted the first ever goose on Division and Ashland on a rooftop that you could see from the window of my first studio across the street.”
“Socks and Chanclas” by Goosenek
Goosenek is an artist that works both on the street, but also in more “fine art” or permanent contexts such as painting and illustration that can be seen at Galerie F. He has even created a comic book about the goose, which he hints might appear in the future. What Goosenek appreciates so much about these modes of making is their accessibility: “I think any and all forms of art should be made for people to see, hear, feel, eat, etc.”
Speaking of art that you can eat, Goosenek is also a huge fan of cooking. In addition to working at a pizza place (which ultimately inspired him to become a street artist!), he has also worked as a line cook. If you’re looking for food in Chicago, he suggests that we head to Freddy’s in Cicero and order the seafood salad and pistachio gelato!
Photo Courtesy of @BillyCraven on Instagram
When asked about his favorite place to hang out or thing to do in Chicago he answered, “I like riding my bicycle to the lake in the summer. I like when the lake is choppy and I jump in the water in between Oak and North along that bend of concrete where the water is deep. Its a real thrill.”
Throughout our interview, Goosenek expressed his strong passion for living and creating in Chicago. “Chicago people are my people, everywhere else is just not here.” His love for the city comes from the overwhelming amount of talent based here.
Photo Courtesy of Goosenek on Instagram
Make sure to keep up with Goosenek’s work by following him on Instagram (@goosenek) as well as Galerie F (@galerief). If you happen upon any of these geese in the streets of Chicago, tag us!
