For years I’ve been hearing about a “Shit Fountain” somewhere in Chicago. I’d ask where it was but no one could answer me for sure, and many people thought it was just a rumor or joke people talked about using faked photos. It recently popped into my brain again in the middle of the night earlier this week, and I decided that fake or not I needed to see for myself.
So I did a little searching and found an old blog post from 2016 where someone had posted pictures and an address. An equally curious friend and I hopped on the Blue Line and went to the location (1001 North Wolcott Avenue, the northeast corner of Wolcott and Augusta) and tracked down this fabled oddity of oddities. Lo and behold, success! We found it!
IT’S REAL YOU GUYS! Here is a brief summary of the story via Atlas Obscura:
“Artist Jerzy S. Kenar installed the public poop as a winking tribute to all of the dogs in the neighborhood who are known to trample and defecate upon his flowers. The metal make sits atop a three-foot sandstone pedestal like a classical Grecian bust and slowly dribbles water into a shallow basin. While the piece may seem disgusting or in poor taste, it has garnered almost no outcry from the community who seem to truly enjoy the whimsical statement. Technically the statue sits on Kenar’s private property so the city is not concerned either.”
We spoke with some neighbors that were hanging outside (and laughing with us as we were taking our photos), and the artist does indeed own the building the fountain is in front of. He also owns the building next door, which is also his art studio! We were there kind of late so the studio was closed, but the neighbors laughed in good humor about it and mentioned some of his other exhibits, like the “Flying Penis” display comprised of a bunch of flying dicks in the air. They also pointed out a curved ladder to heaven and weaved wood sculpture on the wall of the gallery. This has all piqued my interest, I may need to visit again to see inside his studio!
