Although a friend of mine left the United States and the city of Joliet, Illinois in 1975, and went to live in France, He often returned to do art work there for our association Friends of Community Public Art. This piece, ironically, was for the junior high school he attended as a young boy.
He decided to represent 3 children from the basic ethnic groups found in the school: European, African American, and Hispanic.He found three good models and brought them to the studio to pose. Here is Jamie, the most patient of the three:
The little Hispanic girl looks very sad. He found out that she had serious problems at home and plenty to worry about. He wonder what the the three of them think now when they drive past their old junior high and see themselves there.
Here is the piece foundry ready:
And here are a couple of shots of the finished piece in front of the school: