"Mr. I" is a self-taught artist whose work is known to some as "outside" or "visionary" art. The Smithsonian owns several of his pieces, and his abode reflects his unique style. His home, situated next to the "El" tracks on Chicago's north side, is part storefront and part art salon. His landlord has allowed him to leave his mark on the place; Mr. Imagination invites fellow artists to contribute a square in the stairway. Downstairs, an entire room is devoted to a rocking horse collection and children's toys. An adjacent small parlor contains some of Mr. I's art. Another room is a sandstone carving studio. A large basement space contains more art, in addition to his collections of old magazines, books and newspapers. Mr. I estimates he has more than 4,000 of his own pieces in his apartment. Upstairs, the salon in the back provides the artist a place to relax amidst work by up-and-coming artists. Plenty of "thrones" made from objects like cigarette packs adorn the space. An ashtray sculpture in this room was the precursor to his prolific work with bottlecaps. Mr. I stores wood in his kitchen instead of stocking it with food, and he converted his bedroom into a storage room. He sleeps in the front room, on a makeshift bed. The front room is also where he does most of his work.
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