Grooms briefly attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) in the fall 1955. The artist has said that at SAIC he was a “restless and undisciplined student” who “wanted action not [an] education.” Grooms spent most of his time at SAIC in the library, studying the art of Francis Bacon, Jean Dubuffet, and Bernard Buffet. His time at the school came to an abrupt end when, as the artist explained, “One day I walked out leaving everything in my locker.” Recognized for his lively depictions of urban life, in this collage Grooms portrayed a favorite motif, a crowded city street.