CHICAGO – One of Chicago‘s best known and mysterious street artists has died at the age of 36.
Murals and outdoor artworks by the artist known as “Dont Fret” fill every corner of the City of Chicago.
The backstory:
Dont Fret’s real name was Cooper Link.
He was born and raised in Wicker Park, where much of his artwork, especially his earlier work, is located.
He started creating outdoor drawings and murals almost 20 years ago when he was still a teenager. Dont Fret earned a degree from Columbia College in Chicago, and over the past a few years had become one of the best-known street artists in the country.
His drawings can be found all over Chicago, in alleys, sides of buildings, boarded up storefronts and also for sale in galleries. He usually featured not celebrities or stars, but working class people he met across Chicago.
What they’re saying:
“I think first and foremost he was like a very social person,” said Zissou Tasseff-Elenkoff, who owns the All-Star Press gallery in Logan Square, and was a longtime friend of the artist. “The work represents a lot of his interactions with other people that he’d met along the way. Friends, maybe family. Maybe people he met at a bar or at an art event.”
Dont Fret’s family announced his death on social media after a long and lingering illness, writing “Dont Fret was one of the most beloved and talented artists in the history of Chicago… He believed in, championed, and gave tribute to the underdog, the everyday person whose labor is often taken for granted.”
Dont Fret also created murals in New York, London, Helsinki and São Paulo Brazil.
His work, both original and prints, is sold at a number of galleries in Chicago.
“I think he was known for being a true Chicagoan first and foremost,” said Tasseff-Ellenkoff. “He represents the city and the Midwest and the type of folks who grow up here and live here. A lot of his work is satirical or political or commentary on social behavior. So there’s a lot of every day relevance to people. And so I think that’s where it’s easy to empathize and understand what he’s talking about.”
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