Before Renee Robbins became an artist, she wanted to be a marine biologist.
So when she was commissioned to paint the viaduct at DuSable Lake Shore Drive and Fullerton Avenue, she called experts at the Shedd Aquarium for insight on native Lake Michigan flora and fauna, and invasive critters, too.
The result is a massive spread in Lincoln Park that celebrates Lake Michigan’s natural history and intersects with her fantastical imagination.
“I’ve always been interested in water and creating a sense of awe,” says Robbins, who lives in Albany Park. “I hope the artwork can help inspire curiosity and a sense of awe to those that engage with it.”
Robbins, who has worked in Chicago since 2007, typically is a studio artist. Two murals pulled her outside. She painted the mural on West Fullerton Avenue in 2017. Another mural inspired by her love of science, titled “X Marks the Milky Way,” is at 1130 S. Michigan Ave. in the South Loop. She painted both murals by hand with brushes and acrylic paint as well as spray paint.
The second one “was inspired by treasure maps,” she says. “It looks like something from our world that is both aquatic and cosmic.”
Robbins didn’t study science or biology in college, but has long been an avid reader of books, videos and National Geographic magazines that celebrate the deep sea. She is fascinated by bioluminescent jellyfish, fireflies and subatomic particles.
“Physicists try to study subatomic particles and how they move. That’s exciting for me as a visual artist that’s interested in abstraction and reimagining all these sources into a new and otherworldly creation,” she says.
As a result, you can see the influences of microbiology and charismatic megafauna play out in her pieces.
For example, in the Fullerton mural, Shedd staff helped Robbins identify different species that she could incorporate. Those include a peach form inspired by a sculpin and light and dark tan spots inspired by invasive zebra mussels. Invasive sea lamprey adhere to the purple columns in the murals.
While realistic, Robbins also “wanted the piece to remain optimistic.” Colorful images that look like rainbow trees were inspired by viewing butterfly wings under a microscope, she says, and the lights of fireflies seem to flash underneath.
“That’s my main goal that I want viewers to take away from the artwork,” Robbins says. “I want them to be excited about learning about all these flora and fauna that make up this environment.”
Her murals represent second chances in a way, too. In her South Loop piece, the first version was on a garage door and someone ran into it, she said. She repainted it with added vibrancy and detail, and now it’s a popular landmark as neighbors walk to the nearby Trader Joe’s on Roosevelt Road.
