The Chicago Board of Trade statues

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The Chicago Board of Trade statues symbolizing Agricullture and Industry ..
Granite ... 12 foot high ... Five-&-half ton weight..
These staues have a very interesting story .... the plaque as seen the the middle of the stautes read ...
"These two statues one symbolozing agriculture and the other industry once stood at the main entrance of the Board of Trade Building built in 1885. The statues greeted commodity traders and the public for 45 years. Thought lost forever when the buildings were demolished in 1929 to make way for the exchange's current Art Deco structure in 2005, the statues were graciously returned to their origins through the generosity and goodwill of DuPage County Forest Preserve District." .... These statues were uncovered from the Lake Preserve forest ...

Bridgeport

Bridgeport by John Henry
1984, painted aluminium

This sculpture can be seen in the foyer of the Thompson Center ... There are many other pieces of sculptures, by various artists in the Center ... and outside in the Thompson center Plaza is the famous Jean Dubuffet's sculpture "Monument with Standing Beast" ... as can be seen in the previous post ...

Monument With Standing Beast

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This "Monument with standing beast" is a 29-foot, abstract fiberglass sculpture, weighing 10-tons. It stands in front of the 17-story James R Thompson Center building ... It was made by famous French artist Jean Dubuffet, who described this sculpture as a "drawing that extends into space" and hoped it would reach to the men on the streets.

Jean Dubuffet felt a special affection for Chicago, home to one of his three monumental sculpture commissions in this country. Monument with Standing Beast is comprised of four elements that suggest a standing animal, a tree, a portal and an architectural form. The configuration invites viewers to enter the sculpture and echoes the dramatically open plan of the James R. Thompson Center...

Dubuffet coined the term "ART BRUT" which translates into "Raw Art" ... which he defines as art created outside the boundaries of official culture. In his words Art Brut are ... "Those works created from solitude and from pure and authentic creative impulses - where the worries of competition, acclaim and social promotion do not interfere - are, because of these very facts, more precious than the productions of professions".

Freeform

Freeform - Richard Hunt
1993, Stainless steel, H 26 ft. x W 35 ft. x D 2 ft.
Exterior facade of 160 N. LaSalle St.
LOCATION: State of Illinois Building, 160 N. LaSalle St.

The sculpture that adorns the exterior of the State of Illinois Building appears deceptively small in relation to the scale of the building. However, Freeform is actually two-and-a-half stories high and weighs three tons. The sculpture derives its title from one of Richard Hunt’s central ideas about the nature of abstract art—which is that it is freely formed. Whether made of bronze or steel, Hunt’s biomorphic forms often look as though they have been composed in an environment of low gravity. Animated by a series of curvilinear forms evocative of an active flame, Freeform, like other Hunt sculptures, seems capable of performing an infinite number of gestures, hinting at endless possibilities for its ultimate form.

Reference: Chicago Public Art Program, click here

Miro's Chicago

Miro's Chicago ...
Sculptor: Joan Miro
Unveiled: 1981..
Description: Steel, wire mesh, concrete, bronze and ceramic tile ..
Height: 39 ft.
Location: Cook County Administration Building, 69 W. Washington St.

The playfully poetic images of Joan Miró’s art comprise a private mythology derived from the artist’s memories of his homeland in Catalonia, Spain. Using his unique visual symbolism, Miró imbued this sculpture with the mystical presence of an earth deity, both cosmic and worldly. Shapes and forms found in this composition evoke celestial imagery and common objects. The bell-shaped base draws the viewer’s gaze downward, symbolizing Miró’s association of the female form with the earth. The sphere at center represents the moon while the shape of the face is derived from that of a ceramic hook. The fork projecting from the top of the head is symbolic of a star, with individual tines representing rays of light.

Reference: Chicago Public Art Program, click here

The Picasso [Daley Plaza]

Untitled- Known as The Picasso

Unveiled: 1967.. 50 feet tall and weighs 162 tons ...Made of Corrosive Tensile ["Cor-Ten"] steel ..

The sculpture isa gift by the artist Pablo Picasso to the people of Chicago...

LOCATION: Richard J. Daley Civic Center Plaza, 50 W. Washington St.

The first monumental modern sculpture to be placed in the Loop is this sculpture, now called the "Picasso"... It was unveiled in the Civic Center Plaza on August 15, 1967 ... The artist, Pablo Picasso left it untitled, but Chicagoans named it after the artist, calling it the "Picasso” ... This sculpture was initially greeted with lots of controversies. At the time of its installation in 1967, the abstract design, the non-traditional materials and huge scale were all subject of scorn and ridicule ... Art scholars have suggested that the statue is either a portrait of Picasso's wife at the time or his Afghan dog from different angles. Some even interpret it as a horse, a baboon or a Viking Ship.

However, this gift from the artist Picasso, to the people of Chicago ... has over time become an icon of the city and a source of civic pride. While opinions of the sculpture’s subject matter vary, it is acknowledged as a monumental achievement in Cubism*.



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The sculpture is made of Corrosive Tensile ["Cor-Ten"] steel ... The steel used in the construction of the sculpture is the same as used for the office building behind it [Civic Center /Richard J. Daley Center].... The steel is designed to form a protective coating of iron oxide (rust) which protects the substrate from further corrosion ... Over time the sculpture and the building has developed the same patina, so it looks like a natural part of the landscape ...

Picasso died on April 8, 1973 .. before ever visiting the United States to see the completion of his design... Following Picasso's death, the Mayor and members of the City Council in the council meeting on May 9, 1973, publicly paid tribute to the famous artist with a resolution which read, in part,
"Pablo Picasso became a permanent part of Chicago, forever tied to the city he admired but never saw, in a country he never visited, on August 15, 1967. It was on that day that the Picasso sculpture in the Civic Center Plaza was unveiled; it has become a part of Chicago, and so has its creator Picasso."

Cubism*: The artistic style pioneered and explored by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso and his French contemporary, Georges Braque, between 1907 and 1911.

Reference: Chicago Public Art Program, click here

The official website of the Public Building Commission of Chicago, has some more information on this sculpture ...
Picasso, who refused to accept payment for his work, designed a 42-inch model of the sculpture that he presented as a "gift to the people of Chicago." The actual sculpture, however, was manufactured by United States Steel Corporation in Gary, Indiana, where it was entirely pre-assembled, then disassembled, and subsequently shipped to the Daley Center to be reassembled in its final form. The steel that was utilized for the exterior of the Daley Center was also used for the Picasso sculpture, and, over time, developed the same patina.

Ref: Daley Center ..


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The main building behind the Picasso sculpture, is the Richard J. Daley Center. It is the premier civic center of the City of Chicago in Illinois... consisting mostly of courtrooms and county offices. The Cook County Law Library and County Sheriff's office also reside here. It was designed in the international architectural style by Jacques Brownson of the firm C. F. Murphy Associates and completed in 1965. At the time it was the tallest building in Chicago ...

Daley Center Plaza

The Daley Plaza is the courtyard adjacent to the Richard J. Daley Center, which is the premier civic center of the City of Chicago in Illinois.

The plaza serves more than 10,000 people a day...
Some outstanding features are:
# The Picasso
# The Eternal Flame Memorial
# The Fountain
# In winter, the Chicago city Christmas tree is also raised here ...
# "Under the Picasso" ...features lunchtime performances, ethnic festivals, holiday celebrations, farmers markets and more ...





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Eternal Flame Memorial
Construction finish: 1972 ..

"This is the heart of Chicago and I know the heart of Chicago is with us today." ... And with those words, Mayor Richard J. Daley dedicated an eternal flame to the Daley Center Plaza. When it was dedicated on August 22, 1972, the eternal flame was Chicago's first memorial to honor the dead from four wars, World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

The Eternal Flame Memorial at Daley Plaza is a granite slab bearing a bronze circular disk containing a natural gas flame that burns perpetually. The inscription reads as follows: Eternal flame in memory of the men and women who have served in our armed forces. Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Guard, Reserves and Merchant Marines.

City officials created the Eternal Flame in response to veterans organization leaders' pleas for a memorial that would serve as a monument to deceased service personnel. The flame which burns continuously was on August 22, 1972 by Albina Nance, who was then President of the Illinois Gold Star Mothers, an organization of the mothers of fallen service members.



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The Daley Plaza Fountain ... the plaza also features an in-ground fountain ...



The Picasso ...
unveiled in 1967 ...

For more on this sculpture ... The Picasso .. click here ...



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Map for visually impared ...



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Christmas Market:
During holiday time there is a wonderful Christmas Market in the Daley Plaza . The stalls are laden with pastries, breads, chocolates, marzipans & gifts.




The main building [Daley center] behind the Picasso sculpture, was designed in the international architectural style by Jacques Brownson of the firm C. F. Murphy Associates and completed in 1965. At the time it was the tallest building in Chicago ...