Culture
by Katerina Papathanasiou

Lee Godie: The Enigmatic Queen of Chicago’s Sidewalks

Black and white photo-booth self-portrait of artist Lee Godie, featuring hand-drawn red accents on her face and clothing, showcasing her unique artistic style and eccentric self-expression.
Lee Godie's photo-booth self-portrait, a monochrome frame electrified by hand-drawn red details, reveals the unrestrained eccentricity that defined her art and persona.
Lee Godie’s personality leaps from this photo-booth picture, where she’s freely drawn, proving her inventive mind and why Chicago remembers her as a true street art original. Photo sourced from Flashbak.

They speak of Lee Godie—Jamot Emily Godee, born 1908, died 1994—in hushed tones, a blend of wonder, curiosity, and maybe a little confusion. She called herself a French Impressionist, though she learned art on her own. And at the age of 60, homeless, she took to the streets, reinventing herself. You’d find her on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue, selling her art on the streets, almost a ghost, from the late sixties to the early nineties. She was something else, really, a puzzle hidden beneath layers of fur and pure artistic fire. Her life? It wasn’t just about paint and canvas; it was about making yourself who you wanted to be, a real rebellion against how things were supposed to be.

A Life Unbound

Forget fancy galleries, Godie made her own rules. The street? That was her studio, and everyone walking by, her audience. Picture her: right there on the Art Institute steps, selling her stuff, like, “Here I am!” Her art? Bright, lively faces and these crazy, fun scenes, all made with whatever she could get her hands on—pens, paint, even messing around with those photo-booth snaps.

Black and white photo-booth portrait of Chicago artist Lee Godie wearing a wide-brimmed hat, holding one of her hand-drawn portraits, embodying her distinctive outsider art style and self-styled persona.
There’s Lee Godie, that Chicago art legend who did things her own way, caught in a photo-booth, looking playful. And, of course, she’s showing off one of her drawings, like she’s part of the artwork herself. Picture sourced from Flashbak.
Lee Godie’s Woman in Pink, a striking portrait featuring a woman with large expressive eyes, red lips, and voluminous red hair against a soft pink background with green leaves. The artwork, created using watercolor and ink, exemplifies Godie’s bold, self-taught style and her fascination with beauty and identity. Image courtesy of Christie’s.
Looking at Godie’s “Woman in Pink,” you just get it, right? The gentle pinks and then those powerful lines, almost like a challenge. That’s her style, pure and simple. Proves she didn’t need anyone to teach her, her art still packs a punch. Image sourced from Christie’s.

More Than Just “Outsider” Art

Just calling Godie an “outsider artist” misses the point, really. She was sharp, knew how to get her name out there, and had a real knack for reading people. She got how her own story, her whole quirky vibe, drew people in. And she was in charge, deciding who got her art and what they had to do to get it.

A Legacy That Endures

It’s amazing how Godie’s art keeps on drawing people in, even years later. Those pieces of hers are now in some seriously respected collections, which just speaks to how her story lives on. She reminds us that art isn’t bound by walls; it can be made anywhere, by anyone who dares to be different.

Trying to pin Lee Godie down? Impossible. She was an enigma, a real mix of things, someone who just didn’t fit any boxes. And she’s still someone people talk about. Her art, the way she lived, everything—it all shows you what people can do, how they can make their own path and leave a mark that just doesn’t fade.