Thursday, April 3, 2008

Loop [Bronze Cow



Cow
Bronze sculpture
57 inches high, 92 inches long ...
Location: The entrance to the Chicago Cultural Center [Washington and Michigan Ave].


The plaque reads ....
" In 1999 a heard of fiberglass cows united citizens, visitors, artists, businesses through a unique community based public art event. The bronze cow is a gift to all Chicagoans in gratitude for the support of the cows and other art in public places.
A gift to the city of Chicago from the Hanig family and anonymous donors.
November, 2001.
Bronze Cow cast at Wagner Foundary, Inc., Chicago, IL. "


In 1999, a herd of fiberglass cows united citizens, visitors, artists and businesses through a unique community-basesd public art project. Chicago's 1999 summer public art display was originally conceived and presented in Zurich, Switzerland in 1998. Chicago bussinessman Peter Hanig saw the cows in Zurich and brought the idea home. he convinced the City of Chicago to bring in cows from the Swiss artists who had created the Zurich cows. The city purchased unadorned cows and held a contest for local artists to produce designs to decorate them. A local business could opt to sponser an artist designed cow or to purchase a blank cow for its own design.

The commemorative bronze cow located in front of the Chicago Cultural Center, was a gift of the Hanig family and anonymous donors to the people of Chicago in gratitude for their support of the cows and other public art projects.

Depicted as reflections in the eyes of the cow are two famous Chicago landmarks, the “Chicago Picasso” sculpture and the Historic Water Tower.

Above image: Eye depict reflection of Historic Water Tower ..

Above image: Eye depict reflection of "Chicago Picasso" sculpture ..

The Flight of Daedalus and Icarus ..

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The Flight of Daedalus and Icarus ... by Roger Brown.
It's at the entrance of 120 N LaSalle Building ... in the Loop, Chicago.

Roger Brown is a prominent Chicago artist ... famous for Chicago Imagist Movement, from the '70s through the early '90s .. Brown peppered the city with paintings that fuse pop culture themes with a folk-meets-cartooning aesthetic.

One of his best ventures graces the entry way to the 120 N. LaSalle building just west of city hall. The mosaic, illustrates the Greek myth of Daedalus and Icarus, in which Icarus' father, Daedalus, warns him to not fly too close to the sun. Icarus does, of course, his wings melting as he falls. The sight of two toga-wearing and winged men is silly and serious. It's a tale about greed in Chicago's corporate epicenter ......

For more on Roger Brown, click here..