WEST TOWN — An artist who works with reclaimed wood is getting a kick out of the reactions to his map of Chicago neighborhoods, which sometimes is being mistaken as the state of Florida.
"Since the names of the neighborhoods are not on it, several people think it is the state of Florida," said Chris Knight, owner of Chris Knight Creations.
Knight uses wood from torn-down Illinois barns to make distressed wooden flags and wall hangings.
Knight's Chicago neighborhood map measures nearly 7 feet tall by 4 feet wide and costs $3,300, while his United States map, which costs $3,800, is almost 8 feet tall and 4 feet wide.
Knight said the maps — his most time-extensive pieces to date — took almost two weeks each to make, using city and national maps as a guide.
(Chris Knight Creations/Wood Chicago Neighborhood Map; Florida Map/SaintPetersBlog.com)
"Maps are a new thing for me. It's fun having people try to figure out what the neighborhoods are. It's an educational guessing game. At the Gold Coast Art Fair, way more people do not know what it was, and several thought it was Florida," Knight said.
At last month's Logan Square Arts Festival, though, many more people recognized the neighborhood map, Knight said.
Knight overheard art fest goers as they looked at the map.
“People thought O’Hare was the panhandle and then one even started pointing out the Florida cities and saying, 'there’s Tampa Bay' at the bottom left," he said.
Alisa Hauser says the wood comes from demolished barns:
When asked if he informed people on what the map actually was, Knight said, "Most people I did not tell them; it was mostly entertaining for me. I did tell a couple of people because their kids kept asking them what the map is and I wanted them to get it correct.”
Knight, who describes himself as a lifelong Chicagoan, said he has long loved the city's flag and its symbolism and always had more of a connection to vintage and rustic designs.
In addition to Etsy.com and art shows, Knight's work can be spotted in area restaurants like Whisk, 2018 W. Chicago Ave. and Goose Island's Taproom, 1800 W. Fulton St.
Knight is also planning to return as a vendor at the upcoming Wicker Park Fest, July 25-26, in the 1200 to 1600 blocks of North Milwaukee Avenue.
"My flags start at $45. I want to create stuff for everybody's price point," he said.
A former freelance photographer who began carving flags out of his backyard in Logan Square before moving to a West Town live and work studio in January, Knight said his business had grown to include eight employees.
"It turned into more than a living," Knight said.
A United States map made out of wood. (Chris Knight Creations/Facebook).
Chris Knight Creations/Etsy.com
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