CAC’s Chicago Artist to Watch: Josue Pellot

Temporary Allegiance. Courtesy of Josue Pellot.
An interview with Josue Pellot, Chicago Artist To Watch
By Miguel Jimenez
Everyone meets at Humboldt Park's Café Colao to have coffee on a Tuesday morning — from local politicians to the neighborhood’s elderly. I met with Chicago Artist to Watch Josue Pellot, and what began as an interview developed into another conversation among the many in Café Colao.
MJ: What do you usually order here?
JP: At the very least, I'll always have Café con Leche.
MJ: Why did you choose this café for our interview?
JP: I was born in Puerto Rico but raised here [Humboldt Park], and a lot of my work comes from conversations I've had in this Café, from just hanging out and talking to people. Ideas for some work began here and turned into full projects. For instance, I was eating a sandwich one day and saw this machine in the corner.
Josue points to the “Boricuas,†a toy vending machine that sells stereotypical Puerto Rican toy figures for fifty cents.

Family Portrait of Boricuas Toys. Courtesy of Josue Pellot.
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