Help Identify

Help identify this tile mural ...
Location: Intersection of Federal St and Van Buren St ...
Near the entrance of "L" Federal station ... it's on the outer wall of car park building ...
Loved this tile mural!!!

America's Courtyard

America's Courtyard ...
Artist: Denise Milan and Ary Perez
Description: granite and marble block installation,
56 pieces granite and 4 pieces marble ...
Location: Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum
1300 S Lake Shore Drive Museum Campus ..
City of Chicago Public Art Collection ..





The plaque reads ...
" America's Courtyard
A Symbolic Intergration of the Americans
by Denise Milan and Ary Perez
Appropiate to its location adjacent to the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, this sculpture embodies the spiral shape of the galaxies, while being reminiscent of ancient observatories.
At it's center, the thin spaces between between the four stones align with the north-south and east-west compass points.
Leading away from these four center stones are four open avenues through the spiral of stones. These avenues aim to the skyline where the sun rises and sets at the June and December solstices.
Any clear morning or evening during the year, park visitors may check the progress of the seasons by seeing where the sun rises or sets between these two extremes."



Composed of stone blocks of various colors and origins America's Courtyard is a tribute to ethnic diversity in America. The installation was designed to be modular, allowing the sculpture to be reorganized in relation to its surrounding. The arena was stones was originally located near the Art Institute of Chicago but was later moved to a permanent location on the lawn of the Adler Planetarium. here the sculpture was reconfigured to resemble a spiral-shaped galaxy. Artists Amy Perez and Denise Milan worked in conjucture with Adler archeoastronomer Phyllis Pitluga to orient the sculpture to mark the sun's passage through seasonal euqinoxes. The foiur pathways from the center of the piece correspond to the points on the horizon where the sun reaches its northernmost and southernmost settings on the solstices.

For more on Grant Park ..
# Public Art in the Grant Park .. click here ....
# Gardens in the Grant Park .. click here ..
# Often overlooked but remarkable features like pedestrian crossings, the railway lines underneath, the street lamp posts, balustrade, corbels, the Y-symbols .. click here ..
# For a brief history of Grant Park .. click here ..

What You See

What you see ...
Location: Field Museum lawn ...

The museum campus gives an incredible view of Chicago skyline ...
"What you see" is self-explanatory ...

For more on Grant Park ..
# Public Art in the Grant Park .. click here ....
# Gardens in the Grant Park .. click here ..
# Often overlooked but remarkable features like pedestrian crossings, the railway lines underneath, the street lamp posts, balustrade, corbels, the Y-symbols .. click here ..
# For a brief history of Grant Park .. click here ..

Replica of colossal Olmec Head # 8

Replica of colossal Olemec Head # 8..
Head of Veracruz leader, Ignacio Perez Solano..
Description: Stone, H 7 ft. 3 in, 1700 pound ..
Location: The Field Museum lawn
1400 S. Lake Shore Dr., Museum Campus
City of Chicago Public Art Collection

The ancient Olmec, one of the first complex societies in the Americas, are remembered for their colossal head sculptures, 17 of which have been recovered to date. Each original head is distinctive and believed to embody the likeness of an individual leader. Though all of the heads were carved in a stylized manner, Olmec Head #8 is considered the most naturalistic. The State of Veracruz, Mexico donated Ignacio Perez Solano’s 1700-pound stone replica to the City of Chicago.



The plaque reads ..." This sculpture is a replica of Olmec Head #8 from the site of San Lorenzo. It is one of 17 known colossal heads created by the ancient Olmec people in the states of Veracruz and Tobasco, Mexico.
The Olmec flourished in the Gulf Coast region of Mexico from 1300 to 300 BC. Most scholars believe that Olmec carved these stone heads to commemorate their rulers."



Another plaque reads ...
" Olmec Head, Number 8
Gift of the Government of the State of Veracruz, Mexico and Miguel Aleman, Governor of Veracruz, to the People of Chicago.
Dedicated October 21, 2003
City of Chicago
Richard M Daley, Mayor
City of Chicago Public Art Collection."...



For more on Grant Park ..
# Public Art in the Grant Park .. click here ....
# Gardens in the Grant Park .. click here ..
# Often overlooked but remarkable features like pedestrian crossings, the railway lines underneath, the street lamp posts, balustrade, corbels, the Y-symbols .. click here ..
# For a brief history of Grant Park .. click here ..

Children's Garden

I saw an interesting playground in the Museum Campus ... These play structures were named ... Geography Earth, Rock Earth, Water Earth and Climbing Earth ...



Rock Earth



Water Earth




Climbing Earth ...



Geography Earth ...

For more on Grant Park ..
# Public Art in the Grant Park .. click here ....
# Gardens in the Grant Park .. click here ..
# Often overlooked but remarkable features like pedestrian crossings, the railway lines underneath, the street lamp posts, balustrade, corbels, the Y-symbols .. click here ..
# For a brief history of Grant Park .. click here ..

Three forms for Chicago

Spheres Turn, Pyramids Rise, Cubes Stay Still ..
Three forms for Chicago ...
Artist: David Nash ..
Loan of the artist to the City of Chicago Public Art Collection ..
Installed: 2000
Location: Museum Campus, northwest side near Lake Shoredrive ...

Description:
Wood sphere: Diam 8ft
Pyramid: H 16ft x W 10ft
Cube: H 10ft x W 8ft



A British sculptor of international renown, David Nash works primarily with wood. His sculptural form often elemental in nature, realize the subtle balance form and medium and speak of the collaborative relation with the earth. "Three forms for Chicago" comprises of three geometric sculptures made from recycled wood indigenous the the Midwest. The charred patina was achieved after the installation by burning the works. A direct comment on the relationship of man with nature, Nash's sculpture is a passionate plea for awareness of this relationaship and the responsibility that comes from such awareness ...

REF: Three forms for Chicago ... click here ..

For more on the artist ... David Nash ... click here..

For more on Grant Park ..
# Public Art in the Grant Park .. click here ....
# Gardens in the Grant Park .. click here ..
# Often overlooked but remarkable features like pedestrian crossings, the railway lines underneath, the street lamp posts, balustrade, corbels, the Y-symbols .. click here ..
# For a brief history of Grant Park .. click here ..

Agora

Agora ...
Sculptor: Magdalena Abakanowicz [Polish sculptor]...
Description: 106 cast iron figures ... H 9 ft. each... weighing eleven hundred pounds each .. created in Poland ...
Location: Grant Park, intersection of S. Michigan Ave. and Roosevelt Road, Chicago ..
Agora is a Greek word for "meeting place" ...



“Agora,” a permanent installation in the Grant Park, by Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz. It consists of 106 headless armless cast iron figures, each about 9 feet tall, shell like, frozen in walking movement. The figures are similar in general shape, but different in details. Models for each figure were made by hand, by the artist and her three assistants. The surfaces of figures are like a tree bark or wrinkled face expressing a different individuality of each sculpture.

The figures were cast during two years [2004-2006] in a huge industrial foundry in Srem near the city of Poznan [Poland], then transported to the USA. The installation took place in October–November 2006 ... Agora has a $3 million price tag. Donors, including actor Robin Williams, working through the park district-affiliated Parkways Foundation, are contributing about $700,000, with the rest coming from the Polish government and a Polish foundation. No tax dollars was used.





About the artist Magdalena Abakanowicz ...
Born into an aristocratic family just outside of Warsaw, she was deeply affected by World War II and the forty-five years of Soviet domination that followed. In her journals, she writes that she has lived “…in times which were extraordinary by their various forms of collective hate and collective adulation. Marches and parades worshipped leaders, great and good, who soon turned out to be mass murderers. I was obsessed by the image of the crowd… I suspected that under the human skull, instincts and emotions overpower the intellect without us being aware of it.”

The sculptor began creating large headless figures in the 1970s. Initially working in burlap and resin, she went on to use bronze, steel, and iron. Although Abakanowicz has frequently exhibited in museums and public spaces throughout the world— Agora is her largest permanent installation.

REF: Agora in Grant Park .. click here ...

For more on Magdalena Abakanowicz works .. click here ...

For more on Grant Park ..
# Public Art in the Grant Park .. click here ....
# Gardens in the Grant Park .. click here ..
# Often overlooked but remarkable features like pedestrian crossings, the railway lines underneath, the street lamp posts, balustrade, corbels, the Y-symbols .. click here ..
# For a brief history of Grant Park .. click here ..

Rosenberg Fountain

Rosenberg Fountain ..
Sculptor: Franz Machtl [German sculptor]
Installed: 1993 ... restored in 2004 ..
Location: Grant Park .. intersection of Michigan Ave & E. 11th St. (1000 S) .. Chicago, IL 60605 ..
It reads, “Presented by Joseph Rosenberg San Francisco, Cal.”



The 11-foot tall bronze figure holding a goblet and pitcher represents Hebe, daughter of Zeus and Hera. As the Goddess of Youth and the Cupbearer to the Gods, Hebe symbolizes rejuvenation.

German sculptor Franz Machtl created bronze sculpture which was cast in Munich. The drinking fountain is enclosed by a columned structure which emulates a miniature Greek temple. Chicago architects Bauer and Hill designed the Greek inspired structure. It reads, “Presented by Joseph Rosenberg San Francisco, Cal.”





Joseph Rosenberg [1848-91] left a bequest for a fountain in Chicago “to provide the thirsty with a drink.” During his youth here as a newsboy, Rosenberg could never convince local Chicago merchants to spare him a drink. Consequently, he vowed that if he were ever wealthy, he would create a fountain for newsboys to quench their thirst on hot days. He later moved to San Francisco and made a fortune, never forgetting his vow. The fountain was erected at the south end of Grant Park near his childhood home on South Michigan Avenue. Rosenberg’s fountain was installed 2 years after he died.

REF: Rosenberg Fountain in Grant Park .. click here ...

For more on Grant Park ..
# Public Art in the Grant Park .. click here ....
# Gardens in the Grant Park .. click here ..
# Often overlooked but remarkable features like pedestrian crossings, the railway lines underneath, the street lamp posts, balustrade, corbels, the Y-symbols .. click here ..
# For a brief history of Grant Park .. click here ..

Lines in Four Directions

Lines in Four Directions ...
Sculptor: Sol LeWitt
Installed: 1985
Description: Painted aluminum ... 90 X 72 feet ...
Location: 10 W. Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60604 ...



Divided into four equal sections, the aluminum slats of Sol Lewitt’s wall relief are arranged vertically, horizontally and on two diagonals. As light and shadow play across the louvered surface throughout the day, ever changing patterns form. It is a quiet, contemplative work that provides a momentary escape from the surrounding city bustle.

Lines in Four Directions reflects Lewitt’s primary interest in the system used for making art, which determines the form his art takes. To emphasize this concept, Lewitt limits his visual vocabulary to basic geometric shapes and often restricts his color palette to white ...

REF: Lines in Four Directions / Sol LeWitt Wall Project .. click here ...

Being Born

Click on the image for enlarged view ...



Being Born ...
Sculptor: Virginio Ferrari ..
Installed: 1983 ...
Description: Stainless steel, H 20 ft.

Location: Intersection of Ontario, Ohio, and Orleans Sts ..Located at the Ohio Street exit of the Kennedy Expressway

City of Chicago Public Art Collection, commissioned by the Tool and Die Industry ...



Being Born serves as a gateway into Chicago’s downtown ...You can see the Kennedy Expressway in the backdrop ...

Being Born celebrates both art and technology and pays tribute to the industry that commissioned and fabricated it. Sculptor Virginio Ferrari explains, “The circular element symbolizes the precision and skill of this industry. The two stainless steel elements fit exactly into each other, symbolizing the process of die making.” The openness of the outer circle suggests that the industry continues to grow. Supporting the steel sculpture is a round granite base concealing a water mechanism that releases a continuous flow of water over a central surface that acts as a reflecting pool.





This gateway location is landscaped and maintained through a unique partnership between the City of Chicago, the Illinois Department of Transportation and Chicago Gateway Green.

REF: Being Born - Virginio Ferrari ..

Missing marker ...
I was quite annoyed by the fact that I did not see any marker with information like the name of the art piece, the sculptor or the year of installation at the site ...I circled the area 3 times to look for any plaque or any form of marker, but did not find any ... I did find the information on the official website of the City of Chicago, which I have referenced earlier ... However, I feel that every piece of Public Art, should have a marker at the site ...

Haymarket Memorial

Click on the image for enlarged view ...

Haymarket Memorial ...
Sculptor: Mary Brogger ..
Location: Desplaines St. between Lake and Randolph Sts..
Description: Bronze, H 15 ft. x W 9 ft. x L 16 ft.
The site of Haymarket Tragedy was designated a Chicago Landmark on March 25, 1992.



There are plaques detailing the historic significance of this sculpture ... It reads ...

"On the evening of May 4, 1886, a tragedy of international significance unfolded in Chicago's Haymarket produce district. An outdoor meeting had been hastily organized by anarchist activists to protest the violent death of workers during a labor lockout the previous day in another area of the city. Spectators gathered in the street as speakers addressed political, social and labor issues from atop a freight wagon from the adjacent factory. When approximately 175 policemen approached with an order to disperse the meeting, a dynamite bomb was thrown into their ranks.



The identity and affiliation of the person who threw the bomb have never been determined; this anonymous act had many victims. From the blast and panic that followed, seven policemen and at least four civilian bystanders lost their lives, but the victims of the incident were not limited to those who died as a direct result of the bombing. In the aftermath, those who organized and spoke at the meeting – and others who held unpopular political viewpoints – were arrested, unfairly tried and, in some cases, sentenced to death even though none could be tied to the bombing itself.



Meeting organizers George Engel and Adolf Fisher along with speakers August Spies and Albert Parsons were put to death by hanging. Activist Louis Lingg died violently in jail prior to his scheduled execution. Meeting speaker Samuel Fielden, and activists Oscar Neebe and Michael Schwab were sentenced to prison, but later pardoned in 1893 bu Illinois Governor John Peter Altgeld, citing the injustices of their trial.

Over the years, the site of the Haymarket bombing has become a powerful symbol for a diverse cross-section of people, ideals and movements. Its significance touches on the issues of free speech, the right of public assembly, organized labor, the fight for the eight hour work day, law enforcement, justice, anarchy and the right of every human being to pursue an equitable and prosperous life. For all, it is a poignant lesson in the rewards and consequences inherent in such human pursuits.."



Drawing on the symbolism of the wagon used as the speakers’ platform during the meeting, Mary Brogger’s sculpture marks the precise location where the wagon stood and the events occurred.



The plaque reads:
"The site of Haymarket Tragedy was designated a Chicago Landmark on March 25, 1992."

Haymarket Memorial ... [continued]

There are some signs of vandalism/graffiti on the site ... Mayor Richard M. Daley's name has been vandalized and the Seal of the City of Chicago has been painted over by hand with a "circle-A," a symbol of anarchism.



Click on the image for enlarged view ...

Crossing

Crossing ...
Sculptor: Hubertus von der Goltz ..
Installed: May 22, 1998 ...
Location: LaSalle Gateway Plaza on LaSalle Street, just north of the Chicago River ...

It's one of Chicago’s publicly commissioned artworks. This sculpture named "Crossing", portrays an aluminum man precariously balanced atop a steel perch twenty-five feet in the air ... This artwork addresses the complex navigation of life as we approached the millennium .. "Situated at the north end of Chicago’s financial district and the south end of LaSalle Street’s retail strip, Crossing provides a bridge between the global and the local business worlds, as well as public and private lives" ...

# REF: Crossing by Hubertus von der Goltz ... click here ...

Communication X9

Communication X9 ..
Sculptor: Yaacov Agam ..
Description: 43-foot stainless-steel work ..

Installed or rather reinstalled after restoration: 2008

Location: 150 N Michigan Ave ... Intersection of Michigan Ave and Randolph Street ... in the Loop.

This op-art totem pole represents movement in art as one can notice subtle changes in color as one walks by ...

I have to mention that this is another piece of art without any marker .. click here ..
I thank Dubi Kaufmann for the information on the artist ...



Click on the image for enlarged view ...

Controversy over restoration ...
In the 1980s, Israeli artist Yaacov Agam was commissioned to create a sculpture at 150 N. Michigan Avenue .. However, over time the Chicago weather faded the work. In 2005, the current owner hired an expert to restore the multi-hued work to its original look. In 2008, the piece was restored ... The artist Yaacob Agam is said to be unhappy with the restoration because he believes the colors were not restored to the exact shades he originally used.
For more information on the controversy read: Suffering for Art ..

Just wondering ... The artist seems dissatisfied with the restoration work ... Is this the reason that there's no marker !??!! Maybe, just maybe!

Old Town Gates

Old Town Gates ...
Artist: ????
Installed: ????
Location: N Wells street ...
Any story behind these gates: ????

I am a bit disappointed that I could not find any information on the Old Town gates ..

Renaissance Man [Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit - 2003]

Sculpture Name: Renaissance Man
Sculptor: Boban Ilic
Lakeshore Sculpture Exhibit: 2003
Location: Burton/Wells ... 1501 North Wells in the Old Town,
very close to the Old Town gates ..
Sponsor: Old Town Merchants & Residents Association ..

* This sculpture seems to have found a permenent place there, although Lakefront Sculptural exhibits are for one year and then they are available for sale ..

As described in the official website of Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit ...
The exuberant and proud Renaissance Man is at once a classic and modern expression of the 16th century’s famed period of anatomic sculpture and illustration. Employing modern style and technique, the 600-pound, 7-foot sculpture represents happiness and the power of life, complementing its present courtyard home.





# For more images in this blog, from Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit .. click here ...
# For official website of Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit, click here ..

Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit - 2008

I saw a few sculptures in the Old Town, which were part of Lakeshore Sculpture Exhibit .. Each had marker, with information like ..the name of the sculpture, the artist and also the sponsor ... The common element in each of the markers read ...

" This is one of twenty large sculptures on display as part of the Lakeshore Sculpture Exhibit [LSE] throughout the 43rd and 44th ward of Chicago. LSE is an Illinois not-for-profit public art program funded entirely by private contributers.

All sculptures in the exhibit will be available for purchase at the conclusion of the show in the Spring of 2009."





Balm Oh ..
Sculptor: John Adduci ...
Location: Eugenie and Cleveland [St. Michael’s Church] ...
Sponsor: Alderman VI Daley ..

The official website of "Lakeshore Sculpture Exhibit, " click here .. describes this as ...
Adduci believes that public sculpture uniquely excites our intuition to explore, to see all sides. Because of its on-the-street experience, there is an interaction that challenges the artist’s right to take up space. His works are powerful and audacious by design. He uses the fluidity of metal to explore unexpected interpretations of recognizable forms. We are then challenged to confront these works, creating a new dialogue and learning experience.

John Adduci received a MFA from Arizona State University. An internationally recognized artist, he has worked from his Chicago studio in the Old Town area for over thirty years.




Abduction ..

Sculptor: Ron Gard

Location: Burton and Wells ..

Sponsor: Old Town Merchants and Residents Assn.

The official website of "Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit, " click here .. describes this as ...
Gard has created numerous works that fold back on themselves or are juxta-posed to create a sense of tension or animation. This pairing of elements or doubling of elements is not an absolute. Often a singular image will pop into his head fully formed and only requires him to trace them into the real work. There is always a sense of play, a sense of adventure and of exploration, but it starts with play.

Ron Gard has owned and operated a custom fabrication business for over 30 years. He has also worked sculpturally for just as many years. He has worked in a wide range of media including wood, various metal and fiberglass ..

# For more images in this blog, from Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit .. click here ...
# For official website of Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit, click here ..

Open [ Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit - 2006]

Open ..

Sculptor: Pat McDonald

Location: Clark & Lincoln (In the park)

Sponsor: A Finkl & Sons ..

* Browsing through my photo archives, I saw this shot I took in the Lincoln Park in the year 2006 .. It's one of the pieces installed under Lakeshore Sculpture Exhibit ..

The official website Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit, click here .. describes as ..
Pat McDonald returns to LSE for his third appearance with us. Open is a massive piece of steel and concrete, weighing in at approximately 15,000 pounds. This union of concrete and steel is perfect. Each element balances the other. The park setting allows sufficient space to enjoy the sitting area and walk-through of this piece.

Pat continues to push the envelope by creating truly large-scale pieces that can be appreciated from both, a distance and close-up. His work is widely exhibited ..

# For more images in this blog, from Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit .. click here ...
# For official website of Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit, click here ..

Take Time Out

Take time out before time runs out ...
In memory of Dr Daniel J. Shannon Jr.
Mercy Hospital and Medical Center ...
Near Presedential Towers ...