About Sleepy Urbanite
I am a Chicago indie musician and artist. Sleepyurbanite.com is the freaky, love-child of my frustration with slogging away in day job land and my unwavering compulsion to make art.
This is a holding place for thoughts and images that I collect from the people, places and things I encounter on my daily journey in sweet home urban-opolis, Chicago, Il.
I am a graduate of The School of The Art Institute of Chicago and the lead singer of the indie rock band, The Locals
You can contact me at: voyeur@sleepyurbanite.com
I think this is amazing. It is a great idea and really shows a side of the city that usually gets passed by. Keep the photographs coming!
I had NO idea anyone could possibly be watching—well except the guys who try to snatch your purse.
These people look so peaceful….
Ah I should sleep so well.
I had NO idea anyone could possibly be watching-well except the guys who try to snatch your purse.
Everyone looks so peaceful….
Ah I should sleep so well.
This is such an awesome idea!! I love the website too (sleepyurbanite). I’m looking forward to seeing more of this side of the city.
Hide your identity. I’m not joking. Strip your contact info out of the domain registration and edit this site to reduce the chance people can actually I.d. you. With the story in the Tribune, a bunch of nut cases are going to be looking for you.
I may be writing at 3:30 in the morning, but i’m not a nut case. I live in Europe. (o.k., maybe THAT makes me a nut…)
The CTA pics are pretty neat. Good job on the project.
The photos are great – the presentation of them is even better! The black/white, splashes of color, diversity, shadows/light – who knew a cell phone camera in the hands of an artist could be all that? Kudos.
This is really cool. I like the photos better in a slideshow than when I saw them live, because I get more time with individual images without the distraction of the neighboring images.
I agree – keep up the good work!
Your pictures contain a living energy. I can’t believe you captured this stuff on your cell. I’m inspired.
I really like this site. I have a picture of a guy sleeping on the train I’d like to send to you, how can I do this??
I saw the article in the Red Eye and have been meaning to get to the site and now I’m so glad I did. Funny and peaceful at the same time.
I’m a Metra rider and this is so common. The train just rocks you right to sleep.
Keep up the good work!
Beautiful work – I was hoping to find myself among your subjects.
hey i love these pics.. im guessing you use PS to touch them up.. but you could almost never guess these came from a camera phone.. you give them that old 35mm film look. awsome photos.. looking forward to seing more…
ANDY
Yvonne — great to see you on the news. Cool site…hope you’re well
Cheers
You should cacth some of the bus drivers sleeping at red lights…keep up the good work. Peace!
There will always be folks who find a way to mis-apply technological advances and call it “art”.
REALLY GREAT IDEA. i just saw this and you on the news. your artwork is very unique and it is hard to beleive that the shots came from an ordinary cameraphone and some digital magic!
If you look at munber 196 at the sleeping people, the guy on the right is almost invisible at his head. Thats kind of cool!!!!! I absolutely love what ur doing also, I think its new and exciting because it shows the busy people of our city at rest. Keep on photographing!!!
What a fabulous study. The jusxtaposition of hectic urban life against the soft innocence of sleep is fascinating. The images are really great.
Best of luck and I hope you continue this initiative.
w
So glad I caught the news tonight to learn about your web site and project! I have done similar things on the train with my camera, however, didn’t go to far with it. So great to see someone pull this off in a nice, non-freakish way
Look forward to keeping up with your adventure in the city!
Take care,
Kev!
Caught a piece on the news tonight as well.
I tried this myself some time ago with a DSLR (CTA images in general); Folks werent too happy, heh, even if they were explained the ‘expectation of privacy’ doctrine. Never thought to focus on the asleep folk
.
Nevertheless, great site design, definitely one for the bookmarks. How about some RSS lovin’?
Best of luck, keep up the good work (!)
jr
i love it!
amazing. you make life look better than it feels. it looks as if you used magic bullet for editors to get those crazy filters. something similar?
Just watched your segment on the “Today” show. This is an amazing site…and creative idea to portray what we all know people do while riding the train.
As an art director and person who sometimes hires photographers for shoots, I am a little concerned about your images. Unless you have signed ‘model release forms’ of your subjects (which I doubt since they are sleeping) you are not legally allowed to use these images for profit (which I’m not sure you are doing either). Like your work, just making sure you’re covered. You seem to be in a bit of a gray area, but I would ensure you are in the right with all the press you are receiving, people are very lawsuit happy.
Right on Yvonne! I wathced you on the Today Show-cool-very creative-yet simple approach to a new form of art I suppose. I Love it!!
Keep up the creativity and please put me on your e- mailing list for up coming concerts/shows.
thanks
-thomas
peace/one love
beautiful,touching, sad, haunting, silence, passive, nostalgic, curious…
beautiful! this makes me want to sleep on the train with the hopes of being photographed. the pictures really are intriguing…wish we knew the stories behind the faces.
hi yvonne!
you were also featured on picturephoning.com and did get to see your nbc tv feature. the sleepy urbanite is so cool!!
keep on camera phone snapping:-)
cheers
Very cool website and music. I love your photos. I’ve been taking alot of photos with my cellphone over the past few years. Check out my blog @ stevenevanexperience.blogspot.com
Keep on keepin’ on!
Yvonne,
I was introduced to your site through my online Art Appreciation class in Houston. I used to live in Chicago for two years. Your photos allowed me to go back in time to the most relaxing part of my day in Chi-town, the CTA. I seemed to always fall asleep on the train/bus no matter what. Your pictures, to me, express exactly how I felt during my rides…although it is probably the busiest place in Chicago it is also a place to get away from the world and to reflect on your life as a whole. I just want to thank you for showing this feeling through your amazing artistic ability! Oh…and your band rocks!
OK, taking pictures of strangers asleep is just plain creepy.
great photos, it’s been a pleasure!