Outsider, Folk and Fine Art

SZEWCZYK, Mitchell (Polish /American, 20th century) Cross House Remnant. ca. 1985. 37” h x 11” w x 4”d. Wood, paint, reflectors, and exposed rusty nails. Surface dirt and peeling paint. Many exposed nails stick out at the back of this rare work. The Cross House was created by Mitchell Szewczyk. He worked for approximately twenty years to envelop the exterior of his Chicago home in painted wooden shields and plaques commemorating movie stars, local politicians, and historical figures. He lived and worked in the top apartment of a two-flat in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood until his death in the late 1990s. According to his nephew Donald Zaraza, Szewczyk began by decorating the inside of his apartment. His mother who lived downstairs strictly forbade any artwork moving to the outside of the home they shared. When she passed away in 1977, Szewczyk was free to begin embellishing the outside of the house.