WICKER PARK — If you've ever stood in line for a coveted patio seat at Big Star, you've probably seen your fair share of wall murals painted on the facade of The Violet Hour, 1520 N. Damen Ave., across the street.
Previous murals have included a piece inspired by Chicago Ideas Week focused on visual brainstorming, a deer similar to Bambi, a twilight-hued nightclub scene, as well as abstract designs that have been the target of taggers.
The most serious of the murals include "Killing Season: Chicago 2010," a visual documentation of sites of Chicago murders by artist Krista Wortendyke and a sleeping homeless man by tattoo artist David Allen.
Perhaps the most obvious connoisseur of Violet Hour murals is a certain man who takes IDs at Big Star, 1531 N. Damen Ave., and therefore stares at the wall for hours each day.
For the past several years of working the door at the popular taco joint, the Door Guy (who asked to go by that name) said he's seen many dozens of murals.
And yes, he has favorites.
Big Star Door Guy's Top 5 Favorite Murals:
1. "The Whale" by Benjamin Oakley Wilson (June, 2012)
2. "Big Drunk Guy" by Don't Fret (April, 2013)
Street artists "Milk" and "Don't Fret" collaborated on the somewhat controversial "Big Drunk Guy."
3. "Antikythera Mechanism" by Keith Skogstrom (June, 2011)
Skogstrom in front of his mural, June 2011. [DNAinfo/Alisa Hauser]
4. "Alphabet Love" by Jonathan Stein ("All the letters of the alphabet were on it except for L, O, V, E," Door Guy said). (April 2011)
5. "Coming Soon: King Fong Cafe," a fake advertisement for a Chinese restaurant (Spring 2009)
As for the newest mural by graffiti artist DigitalDoes, which went up on Wednesday, Door Guy said it is too soon to comment on it or to tell if it will be among his favorites.
Mural by Does at The Violet Hour, June 10, 2015. [Dnainfo/Alisa Hauser]
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