Public Art in Chicago

Morbid Curiosity: The Richard Harris Collection [Part IV: Opening Reception]

2012-01-28T06:48:00.000-08:00

Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events in partnership with the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture, presents..
"Morbid Curiosity: The Richard Harris Collection" ..
January 28 – July 8, 2012..
Opening Reception: Jan 27, 2012..
Curator: Lucas Cowan
Co-Curator: Debra Purden
Director of Exhibitions: Dr. Elizabeth Lee Kelly..
Fee: Free, Open to public..
Location: Exhibit Hall and Sidney R. Yates Gallery,
at the Chicago Cultural Center..
CAUTIONARY NOTE: The exhibition contains explicit imagery that may be disturbing to younger or sensitive viewers.
Photography is prohibited in the gallery.

A Photo Gallery of the Opening Reception: Jan 27, 2012..
The focus here is on the the people at the opening reception..
The exhibition is organized into two major sections..
The Kunstkammer of Death and the War Room..
I am posting the highlights of the exhibits separately,
Kunstkammer of Death, click here ..
I will post on War Room soon..
Exhibition related terminology..

The incredible team that put it all together..
Debra Purden, Lucas Cowan, Richard Harris and Dr. Elizabeth Lee Kelly..

What are they looking at? Image below..

"The Death of Venus" - by Roger Reutimann..

If you are wondering what he is looking at, the image is below..

Curious Snake Exploring a Skull" (Okimono) - by Izumi Sukeyuki [Japanese]

Cales Weintraub and his wife, with his sculpture, Mr. and Mrs. Bones..

PRESS COVERAGE:
Chicago Sun Times [Article by Kara Spak, photography Al Podgorski ]..
Chicago Tribune [Article by William Hageman]..
Live Science [Article by Wynne Parry]..
Libertyville Review [Article by Myrna Petlicki]..
Chicago Reader [Article by Sam Worley] ..

RELATED LINKS..
Richard harris Collection: A Preview..
Richard Harris Collection: Kunstkammer [Photo Gallery]..
Richard Harris Collection: Part II [Exhibition Terminology]..
Richard Harris Collection..

Morbid Curiosity: The Richard Harris Collection [Part III : A Preview ]

2012-01-27T05:32:00.002-08:00

Mural "March of Death" by Hugo Crosthwaite..

As we enter the exhibit, to the left is a site-specific mural, "March of Death" by Hugo Crosthwaite. This large 25-by-10-foot black-n-white mural, sets the tone for the exhibition. It mentally prepares one, to enter a very unusual show, where the theme is mortality. The mural has an intriguing mix of cultural and religious symbolisms on the subject of death.

A marker on the wall reads..
The exhibition explores the ways in which artists and cultures use skulls, bones and skeletons to explore human experience and perception of mortality. Our awareness of death while we are alive gives shape and meaning to our existence. Mortality is a universal theme in all of the arts, found repeatedly throughout and across many cultures..

The exhibition is organized into two major sections, in two seperate galleries..
Sidney R Yates Galley.. exhibits the "Kunstkammer of Death". Kunstkammer, a German word, much used in the Renaissance period, means the cabinet of curiosities / cabinet of wonders. Kunstkammer was an early form of museum: part art gallery, part study room. In the context of this particular show, the Sidley Yates Gallery displays varied objects, sculptures, paintings, books, and artifacts, where the underlying theme is not the medium of expression, but the subject of mortality.

The Exhibit Hall.. exhibits "The War Room".. with images and artifacts showing the horrors and reactions to war expressed through art..

"In the Eyes of Others" - by Jodie Carey..
One of the highlights of the Sidney Yates Gallery is chandelier made of plaster cast bones..

"The Death of Venus" - by Roger Reutimann..

"Headhunter's Trophy" - Unknown
Naga tribe of India..
These trophies were preserved and displayed to inspire young men as they trained to be warriors. The number collected brought prestige to the tribe.

Richard Harris with some of the artifacts ..

The Exhibit Hall has become the War Room.
The most significant achievement of the Richard Harris collection is that it brings together, for the first time in one collection, five great series of prints representing the horrors of war. Created between 1633 and 2007, these works of art provide an unprecedented opportunity to see and explore the relationships between the visions of these artists.
The five sets of prints are by Otto Dix, Francisco Goya, Jake and Dinos Chapman, Jacques Callot and Sandow Birk.The views were created by men on the losing sides of many of these battles.

Installation "Tribute", artists Alain Guerra and Neraldo de la Paz, with Richard Harris..

With more than a 1,000 pieces in display in area of about 14,000 sq. feet, the skulls, skeletons, prints and artifacts of the Richard Harris collection helps us to explore the concept of mortality, through different periods and different cultures. The exhibition educates, delights, astonishes, astounds, terrifies and exhilirates us on a theme as morbid as mortality.. In the end, it reminded me of a line at the beginning of the show ..Our awareness of death, while we are alive, gives shape and meaning to our existence..

PRESS COVERAGE:
Chicago Sun Times [Article by Kara Spak, photography Al Podgorski ]..
Chicago Tribune [Article by William Hageman]..
Live Science [Article by Wynne Parry]..
Libertyville Review [Article by Myrna Petlicki]..
Chicago Reader [Article by Sam Worley] ..

RELATED LINKS..
Richard Harris Collection: Part II [Exhibition Terminology]..
Richard Harris Collection..

Morbid Curiosity: The Richard Harris Collection [Yates Hall: Photo Gallery]

2012-01-26T17:32:00.000-08:00

The Mondongo Collective [Argentinian] Agustina Picasso, Manuel Mendanha, and Juliana Laffitte create their art by assembling familiar items into three-dimensional collages..

Day of the Dead Skull - by Miguel Linares..

"Umbrella", by Laurie Lipton [Pencil on Paper]

"In the Eyes of Others", by Jodie Carey..
A chandelier made of plaster, steel and wire..

"Curious Snake Exploring a Skull" (Okimono) - by Izumi Sukeyuki [Japanese]
In Japanese culture, the snake was a positive symbol and not associated with sin as it traditionally has been in European culture. This okimono (decorative object) expresses the Buddhist vision of the ongoing existence of the soul which is expected to be transformed into another state. The skull is inhabited by the snake, which is “reborn” every time it sheds its skin.

17th century painting of St. Jerome..

Ex Libris..

Ex Libris Collection - Each one has skull or skeleton on them..

Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, 1518 - by Albrecht Dürer [German]

Carving on Ivory on the same theme as the above illustration of "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse"..

Here's Richard Harris pointing me the similaries, between the above two art pieces..

To CONTINUE..

Public Art Blog..

2012-01-26T08:03:00.000-08:00

That's my blog..
22 shares, 85 likes...
Recognition from people I dont know! Not yet!
Here's my blog..
click here..

Morbid Curiosity: The Richard Harris Collection [Part II - Exhibition Terminology]

2012-01-25T04:23:00.000-08:00

Chicago Cultural Center Brings Death to Life in Unprecedented New Exhibition "Morbid Curiosity: The Richard Harris Collection" ..
January 28 – July 8, 2012..
For information, click here...

The exhibition is organized into two major sections..
The War Room.. which deals with the horrors and reactions to war expressed through art.. and..
The Kunstkammer of Death.. a play on the traditional European term for a ‘cabinet of curiosities’.
While the subject matter may seem a bit macabre, artists have long derived inspiration from death, mortality, and the impermanence of human existence. This eclectic collection examines these concepts from centuries past to the present day.

And as the event is getting closer, my curiosity is on a rise. I was browsing through some terminology related to the exhibition, like..
Dance of Death, Memento Mori, Vanitas and Kunstkammer..

DANCE of DEATH..
also variously called Danse Macabre (French), Danza Macabra (Italian), Totentanz (German), Danza de la Muerte (Spanish), is an artistic genre which most probably developed in France. click here.. It is about the universality of death: the Dance of Death unites all. .

In the Middle-Ages, the dance of death was though as a warning for powerful men, a comfort to the poor, and ultimately an invitation to lead a responsible and christian life. But its basic idea is even more simpler, more timeless: to recall the shortness of life. It makes men remember that they all will die, without exception.

In the first printed Totentanz textbook (Anon.: Vierzeiliger oberdeutscher Totentanz, Heidelberger Blockbuch, approx. 1460),
Death addresses, the emperor
Emperor, your sword won’t help you out
Sceptre and crown are worthless here
I’ve taken you by the hand
For you must come to my dance..

Death calls a peasant, and he answers..
I had to work very much and very hard
The sweat was running down my skin
I’d like to escape death nonetheless
But here I won’t have any luck..

"Death and the Woman" [1910/ lithograph]
By Käthe Kollwitz [German, 1867-1945]

From the official website..
In this print by Kollwitz, the dance of death has become an agonizing struggle. Acceptance of death has been transformed into a tug of war between the child in the foreground, and the skeleton at the rear, with the body of the mother as the ultimate prize..

VANITA ART...
click here..
Vanitas is a specific genre of art in which the artist uses morbid symbolic objects (such as skulls, rotting food, fading flowers etc.) in order to produce in the viewer's mind an acute awareness of the brevity of life and the inevitability of death. The origins of the term can be traced back to the latin biblical aphorism: vanitas vanitatum omnia vanitas (Ecclesiastes 1:2) [Vanity of vanities; all is vanity.]

The style rose to prominence in the 16th and 17th century, primarily in the Netherlands, Flanders and France. Though it lost much of its popularity around 1650, its influence remains clearly visible in many modern works of art, such as Paul Cezanne's "Pyramid of Skulls".. and Pablo Picasso's "Still Life with Skull"...

KUNSTKAMMER..
A cabinet of curiosities / A cabinet of wonders..
Kunstkammer was an early form of museum: part art gallery, part study room. The tradition began in Europe during the Renaissance era, as rulers, aristrocrats and successful members of the merchant class collected and displayed arts and artifacts from different cultures, continents and time-periods together in one cabinet or room.

In the context of the exhibition, "Morbid Curiosity: The Richard Harris Collection", the Yates Gallery presents the Harris “cabinet of curiosities"..
This room also displays Mexican, Mesoamerican and Asian art, showing a different understanding of death. The collection’s works explore themes such as the beauty of the human body and concepts such as vanitas, or the Christian notion of the vain, shallow obsessions of the living contrasting with the more important inevitability of death.

DAY of the DEAD..
Spanish: Día de Muertos.. is celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world in many cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died.

"La Catrina: Day of the Dead" / 2005
by Laurie Lipton [Pencil on Paper]

Presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events in partnership with the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture, Morbid Curiosity: The Richard Harris Collection showcases a wild and wonderfully eclectic selection of nearly 1,000 works of fine art, massive installations, artifacts, crafts and decorative objects that explore the iconography of death across a variety of artistic, cultural, spiritual practices from 2000 B.C.E. to the present day.

RELATED LINKS..
Morbid Curiosity: The Richard Harris Collection..

Morbid Curiosity: The Richard Harris Collection

2012-01-24T18:13:00.000-08:00

Chicago Cultural Center is having a new exhibition
Morbid Curiosity: The Richard Harris Collection..

January 28-July 8, 2012..
Opening Reception: Friday, January 27 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
And also..
Saturday, January 28 at 3 p.m. - Gallery Talk with British artist Jodie Carey and Guerra de la Paz artists
Sunday, January 29 at 3 p.m. - Gallery Talk with collector Richard Harris..

The City of Chicago official Tourism Site informs..
An excerpt..
Morbid Curiosity showcases collector Richard Harris’ nearly 1,000 works, including creations by many of the greatest artists of our time, which explore the iconography of death across a variety of artistic, cultural and spiritual practices from 2000 B.C.E. to the present day.

The two major components of this exhibition are
- The “War Room,” highlighting the atrocities of war in notable works from the 17th century to present day, in the 4th floor Exhibit Hall; and
- The “Kunstkammer of Death,” a modern-day “cabinet of curiosities” housed in the Sidney R. Yates Gallery, featuring a wide-ranging survey of mortality across cultures and spiritual traditions.

I had the previlege of meeting Mr. Richard Harris at his home. He is an absolutely fascinating person, very well-travelled around the globe, and very well-informed about the history and culture of people in different areas of the world, and their views on death.

Here are some of the images from the day.

Above Image: These are real human skulls..

And then I saw some art pieces, including bronze skull sculptures, bejeweled skull and paintings related to death.

The above bronze skull sculpture was very very heavy!!!

It's not that very often that we brood on the topic of life and death, but this exhibition will compell one to do just that! And also, make us see how death has been viewed through human civilization, in different parts of the world.

I will present a series of posts, as I get more information on the exhibit and as I dig more on this very offbeat topic!

Additional highlights..
of Morbid Curiosity: The Richard Harris Collection ..
- Works by notable artists including Rembrandt, Albrecht Durer, Hans Bellmar, Odilon Redon, Pavel Tchelitchew, James Ensor, Jasper Johns and Robert Mapplethorpe.
- Breathtaking 13 ft. high chandelier made entirely of 3,000 handcrafted plaster bones by contemporary British artist Jodie Carey. The piece directly engages the viewer with the irony or contradictions implicit in the decay/beauty aesthetic.
- Visually stunning large-scale installation, “Tribute,” from Guerra de la Paz entirely built from colorful used clothing that commemorates the Holocaust.
- Specimens, medical charts and ephemera.
- Work by contemporary artists such as Andres Serrano, Vik Muniz and Hugo Crosthwaite, including his commissioned 10 x 25 ft. site-specific mural, “Death March,” among others.
- Ethnographic artifacts and art from other cultures, particularly Tibet, Mexico, Africa and New Guinea.

Murals by Hector Duarte

2012-01-15T06:19:00.000-08:00

Hector Duarte's House in Pilsen..

For details, click on the link..
Hector Duarte's House in Pilsen..

HECTOR DUARTE..
was born in Caurio, Mexico. he moved to Chicago in 1985. Since than has craeted more than 50 murals..
I have seen only a few..
# Hector Duarte's House..
PUBLIC ART on CTA Stations:
# Pulaski [Untitled - by Hector Duarte]...
# Western Station [Ice Creme Dream - by Hector Duarte]..

I am very eager to see his work "Unraveling Frontiers”, at the National Museum of Mexican Art. Will bring the images when it happens..
meanwhile enjoy his work at CTA stations and his incredible house..

For details, click on the link..
Pulaski [Untitled - by Hector Duarte]...

For details, click on the link..
Western Station [Ice Creme Dream - by Hector Duarte]..

RELATED LINKS..
# Hector Duarte's House..
# Pulaski [Untitled - by Hector Duarte]...
# Western Station [Ice Creme Dream - by Hector Duarte]..

CTA Adopt A Station: Pulaski [Untitled- by Hector Duarte]

2012-01-15T06:04:00.000-08:00

Untitled
Hector Duarte, Gallery 37, and Curie High School students
Mural on tile /1998,
Under the CTA , Adopt-A-Station program
where CTA stands for Chicago Transit Authority..

The painted mural on tile greets customers as they enter the station. The mural depicts a rose with petals made of many different flags that symbolize the many ethnic communities that make Chicago such a vibrant city.

CTA Arts-in-Transit: Western Station [Ice Cream Dream - by Hector Duarte]

2012-01-15T04:46:00.000-08:00

Ice Cream Dream
By Hector Duarte
2004 / Mixed media mosaic
Location: CTA Station: Western [Pink Line]
Under the CTA Arts-in-Transit program,
where CTA stands for Chicago Transit Authority..

At the center of this mosaic is a large heart with several buildings featuring the neighborhood’s unique architectural characteristics and facades. Surrounding the heart are the Willis Tower and John Hancock Center, signifying the neighborhood’s place in the city. Monarch butterflies are the predominant theme throughout the mural; like many people who pass through this station daily, monarchs are migrants. Every year the monarch travels thousands of miles from Mexico to the Midwest. The butterflies emerge in the mural as a wave of energy, a reflection of magical realism that has marked Latin American literature..

At the center of this mosaic is a large heart with several buildings featuring the neighborhood. Surrounding the heart are the Willis Tower and John Hancock Center, signifying the neighborhood’s place in the city..

RELATED LINKS..
CTA Public Art..

Pilsen Murals [Hector Duarte's House]

2012-01-14T05:10:00.000-08:00

Hector Duarte's House..
Address: 1900 West Cullerton Street, Chicago, IL 60608.

Hector Duarte was born in 1952 in Caurio, Michoacan, Mexico and lives and works in Chicago and Mexico. A prominent name in Mexican's muralist tradition, his paintings and prints have been exhibited at numerous venues such as, the School of the Art Institute, the State of Illinois Gallery, the Chicago Historical Society, and the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum, and Casa Estudio Museo Diego Rivera in Mexico. Duarte has received numerous awards, including a 1995 Chicago Bar Association Award for best work of public art and a 1994 National Endowment for the Arts Regional Artists’ Project Grant.

Duarte's house is really is a piece of Public Art. The mural represents the struggles of a Mexican immigrant. He tends to use bright colors in the Mexican tradition.

In Duarte's work, one can often see the use of symbols and images that characterize the life to Latinos in the U.S, like images of corn, images from the Day of the Dead, and the Loteria game..

New sculptural installation in Prudential Tower lobby, by Terrence Karpowicz..

2012-01-09T18:34:00.000-08:00

Above image: Terrence Karpowicz, Susan Aurinko and Adrian Calderon..

Sculptural installations in Prudential Towers lobby..
By Terrence Karpowicz..
I will fill-in more information, as soon as I get them!
meanwhile enjoy these three beautiful pieces, made entirely of wood.

Some last moment touch-ups.. Terrence Karpowicz and Adrian Calderon..

Some details.. texture, color and joints..

Some more images from the day...

Welcome 2012...

2011-12-31T08:16:00.000-08:00

I know, past few weeks there has hardly been any updates here. But December is always an extremely busy month for me. The paucity of time, combined with renewed interest in Art History, especially Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, leaves less time for this site! So join me at my website on the The Art Institute of Chicago..
Here are some of the updates..

Some of the updates..
Exploring some "...isms"
Impressionism..
Post-Impressionism..
Modern and Contemporary Art [Cubism, Surrealism, Expressionism, Abstract Expessionism]..

Gustave Caillebotte - "Paris Street, Rainy Day" [1877
[La Place de l’Europe, temps de pluie].

Impressionism..

Vincent van Gogh - "Self-Portrait" [1887]

Post-Impressionism..

William de Kooning - "Excavation" [1950]

Modern and Contemporary Art [Cubism, Surrealism, Expressionism, Abstract Expessionism]..

Claude Monet: "Stacks of Wheat (End of Summer)", 1890/91..

AIC: European Galleries [Haystacks / Wheatstacks by Claude Monet]..

Claude Monet: "The Waterlilies" [triptych] 1914-26..

AIC and MOMA [Waterlilies - by Claude Monet]..

Vincent van Gogh: The Starry Night, 1889

MOMA - Few favourites..

Henri Matisse: "La Danse I", 1909..

MOMA: "La Danse I" - by Henri Matisse..

AIC: Alsdorf Galleries: Nataraja / Shiva, as Lord of Dance..

AIC: Alsdorf Galleries [Shiva, as Lord of the Dance/ Nataraja] ..

And many more updates..
Visit.. The Art institute of Chicago..

Reviving my website on The Art Institute of Chicago

2011-12-07T07:55:00.000-08:00

Little Dancer Aged Fourteen - By Edgar Degas
For more, click here..

December is an extremely busy month for me. I hardly get any time to blog, and even less time to venture out with my camera, exploring places and documenting public art. So, off late, I have been reviving my blog on the Art Institute of Chicago.. which, apart from having a world class art-collection, is more of like an academic institution for learning art history.
Here are some of the updates..

Vater Staat - by Thomas Schutte..
For more, click here..

Bronze Woman No. 17 - by Thomas Schutte..
For more, click here..

Architectural Fragments from Title Guarantee Bldg. - by Eames and Young..
For more, click here..

America Windows by Marc Chagall..
For more, click here..

Picasso's women and their tragic tales..
This remains my viewers all-time fav. post.
For more, click here..

RELATED LINKS..
Art Institute of Chicago..

R.I.P. Maggie Daley

2011-11-29T19:33:00.000-08:00

Floral display at City Hall..

Rest In Peace Maggie Daley..
The City of Chicago mourns the death of it's former first lady Maggie Daley. She died at home, just after 6 pm, on Thanksgiving Day, at the age of 68. A public memorial was held at the Preston Bradly Hall at Chicago Cultural Center. The funeral mass was held at her long-time church, Old St. Patrick's Church, 700 W. Adams at 10:30 a.m. Monday.

Tulips was her favourite flower. A deep pink tulip [her favourite color] has been named after her, "Tulipa Maggie Daley". The flower, which took 12 years to cultivate, was named for Daley in 2006. This [2010] is the first year the tulip was ready for exhibition.. [ Source NBC News. ] These were planted along the Magnificient Mile last year.

Floral display in City Hall's grand central lobby, and a memorial book is available for friends and well-wishers to sign and honor Mrs. Daley.

Gallery 37 has a floral display, and a book has been placed to be signed in honor of Mrs. Daley, by children who have been touched by her..

Gallery 37..

Chicago Cultural Center - Washington Street entrance..

Memorial bunting has been placed over the entrance on Washington Street entrance; and the Randolph Street entrance columns have been wrapped.

Chicago Cultural Center - Randolph Street entrance..

Chicago's city flag has been lowered to half-staff.

Here is the City of Chicago's Official Press Release.. click here..

Gallery 37

2011-11-29T04:15:00.000-08:00

Gallery 37 entrance..

Gallery 37 entrance..

Gallery 37..
was created by Lois Weisberg, of The Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner, and Chicago First Lady, Maggie Daley. It was founded in 1991 to revive Block 37 in the heart of Chicago's Loop.

It provides on-the-job training facility to young people between the ages of 14 to 21 living within the city limits. These students, called "apprentice artists", earn minimum wage while working part-time with professional "lead artists" in the creation and sale of art. The programs include Culinary Arts, Dance, Literary Arts, Opera Workshop & Theater, and Visual & Media Arts. Seventy-five percent of youth participants are from economically disadvantaged families.

Gallery 37 is currently run by After School Matters, a not-for-profit organization that partners with the City of Chicago, the Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Park District, the Chicago Public Library, the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, and Community-Based Organizations to expand out-of-school opportunities for Chicago teens..

Gallery 37 foyer..

Gallery 37 foyer details..

Gallery 37 staircase..

Gallery 37..

Bryn Mawr and Lakeshore Drive underpass: Growing 2008

2011-11-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

Growing 2008..
Location: Bryn Mawr and Lakeshore Drive Bricolage
Artists: Tracy Van Duinen and Todd Osborne
Growing 2008.. emphasizes Edgewater community’s hope for the future..
REF: Chicago Public Art Group..

The mural titled "Living 2007" is on the north wall of the underpass, and mural titled "Growing 2008" is on the south wall of the underpass..
For more on..
# Growing 2008..
# Living 2007..

Below are images from mosaic mural, "Growing, 2008"..

Bryn Mawr and Lakeshore Drive underpass..

Also check out images of "Living, 2007" on the north wall of the underpass, click here..

Bryn Mawr and Lakeshore Drive underpass: Living 2007

2011-11-25T05:48:00.000-08:00

Living 2007..
Location: Bryn Mawr and Lakeshore Drive Underdrive Bricolage
Artists: Tracy Van Duinen and Todd Osborne
It celebrates the history of Edgewater Community..
REF: Chicago Public Art Group..

The mural titled "Living 2007" is on the north wall of the underpass.. and mural titled "Growing 2008" is on the south wall of the underpass..
For more on..
# Growing 2008..
# Living 2007

Bryn Mawr and Lakeshore Drive underpass..

Also check out images of "Growing, 2008" on the south wall of the underpass, click here..

CTA Arts-in-Transit: Kedzie Station [Coast of Chicago - by John Himmelfarb]

2011-11-24T12:40:00.000-08:00

Coast of Chicago
By John Himmelfarb
2004 /Custom-shaped painted tiles
Location: CTA Station: Kedzie [Pink Line]
Under the CTA Arts-in-Transit program,
where CTA stands for Chicago Transit Authority..

The neighborhood surrounding the Kedzie station is full of bustling activity. The ceramic tiles of this artwork reflect the strength of community as a whole, but also the uniqueness of its individual parts. Many of the design elements are drawn from architectural details of homes, schools and commercial buildings, as well as structural details associated with the CTA. These sources reflect the current community and give reference to the history of the neighborhood. Combined with this imagery are design elements inspired by connections of heritage to Mayan, Aztec and African cultures..

RELATED LINKS..
CTA Public Art..

CTA: Belmont Station [Space Junction of Energy - by Jerald Jacquard ]

2011-11-23T19:05:00.000-08:00

Space Junction of Energy
By Jerald Jacquard
1970 / Painted steel, mixed media
Location: CTA Station: Belmont [Brown Line]

This sculpture was initially installed at Kimball Station, when it was rebuilt in 1974. The Station Artwork Guide, informs..
It would be another decade before more permanent art installations appeared, this time at the stations of the O'Hare Extension in 1983-85. This was followed by two decades without another permanent art installation. Art installations on CTA Stations, under Arts in Transit Program began in 2004. So for Public Art buffs, like me, this is a very important piece of sculpture; as it was installed before the Arts-in-Transit Program began. And it's important to note that it was initially installed at Kimball Station. I have no idea when was it bought to Belmont Station.

Jerald Jacquard’s sculpture, Space Junction of Energy, is a paradox; an abstract sculpture that describes the specific event of mass passing through space. The artist’s intention is to energize the viewer’s mind through perception of the ever-shifting composition of geometric forms. Formal yet animated, the sculpture is an arrangement of hollow geometric shapes constructed of cut and welded sheet steel. A visual blanket of orange paint unifies the variable components and emphasizes the internal balance and harmony of this dynamic composition.

Apart from "Space Junction of Energy", Belmont Station also has a mural installation, "We All Ride the Train Together" by David Lee Csicsko..

"We All Ride the Train Together" by David Lee Csicsko
For more, click here.

RELATED LINKS..
CTA Public Art..

CTA Arts-in-Transit: Belmont Station [We All Ride the Train Together - by David Lee Csicsko]

2011-11-23T17:39:00.000-08:00

We All Ride the Train Together
By David Lee Csicsko
2009 / Mixed-media mosaics by Erin Adams Design..
Location: CTA Station: Belmont [Brown Line]
Under the CTA Arts-in-Transit program,
where CTA stands for Chicago Transit Authority..

The CTA website describes..
Mosaics by David Lee Csicsko embellish the Belmont station in celebration of the diversity and liveliness of the Lakeview community. CTA customers are greeted by nine spirited portraits along Belmont Avenue. Inside the stationhouse colossal pairs of eyes keep watch and reflect friendly faces while a Victorian-era train car pays homage to the history of the neighborhood. The joyous portraits of its passengers, young and old, reflect the diversity of Chicago’s population.

Victorian-era train car pays homage to the history of the neighborhood.

Train details..

Inside the stationhouse colossal pairs of eyes keep watch and reflect friendly faces..

Nine portraits along Belmont Avenue..

Nine portraits along Belmont Avenue.. Four on one side of the road and five on the other side..

There is another beautiful art installation at the Belmont Station. Space Junction of Energy - by Jerald Jacquard ..

RELATED LINKS..
CTA Public Art..

CTA Arts-in-Transit: Paulina [Transitions - by Barbara Cooper]

2011-11-23T06:50:00.000-08:00

Transitions
By Barbara Cooper
2009 / Mosaic: Hand-cut glass
Sculpture: Riveted brass and stainless-steel sheeting
Location: CTA Station: Paulina [Brown Line]
Under the CTA Arts-in-Transit program,
where CTA stands for Chicago Transit Authority..

The CTA website describes..
Transitions comprises a suspended sculpture and a mosaic, which form an artistic dialogue.
“Transitions is intended to mirror the fluid, ephemeral, high-energy cellular neighborhoods of the city and the connections and intersections
between them, which public transportation facilitates…[it] references not only passage to different physical places, but also to other states of being and points in time.”
—Barbara Cooper

RELATED LINKS..
CTA Public Art..

Daniel Chester French

2011-11-22T06:18:00.000-08:00

Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.. [Partnership of sculptor Daniel Chester French and architect Henry Bacon]..

Daniel Chester French..
American Sculptor: April 20, 1850 – October 7, 1931..
French specialized in large-scale statues, memorials and portrait busts.

He is most famous for his sculpture of seated Abraham Lincoln [1920] at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., click here.. Fortunately, many of his French's sculptures are in Chicago...

A reduced version of the full size statue in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., can be seen at the Art Institute of Chicago [AIC] - Sculpture Garden.. click here..

There is another 'Standing Lincoln" by Daniel Chester French, at the Art Institute of Chicago [American Galleries], click here..

Perhaps the most famous work of Daniel Chester French in Chicago, is "The Republic", This 24-foot gilt-bronze sculpture is about a one-third in size of the original 65-foot-high sculpture, which dominated the World's Columbian Exposition's Court of Honor..
Partnership of sculptor Daniel Chester French and architect Henry Bacon.
For more, click here..

Bulls with Maiden [Garfield Park Conservatory]
Note: The maidens are by Daniel Chester French, although the bulls are by Edward Potter..
For more, click here..

"Memory", Tomb of Marshall Field [Graceland Cemetery]..
Partnership of sculptor Daniel Chester French and architect Henry Bacon.
For more, click here..

Truth [Art Institute of Chicago [AIC], Sculpture Park]..
For more, click here..

Victory [River North: 17 East Erie Street] cast from working model for the First Division Memorial, President's Park, Washington D.C..
For more, click here..

Head of Victory / First Division Memorial [President's Park, Washington D.C]
For more, click here..

Sculpture, Richard Morris Hunt Memorial [perimeter wall of Central Park, at 5th Avenue at 70th Street]

Allegorical sculptures "Continents" [US Custom House, Bowling Green, Manhatten]..
For more, click here..

River North [Victory - by Daniel Chester French]

2011-11-21T07:02:00.000-08:00

Victory
By, Daniel Chester French..
Location: 17 East Erie Street..
This is cast from working model for the First Division Memorial, President's Park, Washington D.C. Fortunately I have also seen the final version, which stands in Washington DC, and have included those photos. Scroll down to the last two images in this post...

The plaque reads..
Daniel Chester French
Victory, 1921-24
Signed: "D.C. French Roman Bronze Works, N.Y."
Cast from working model for the First Division Memorial, President's Park. South 17th Street, NW, Washington D.C.

How often does this happen, that a big truck, van, or a SUV, is standing right in front of the building you want to photograph, and it just would not move from there!

Below images, are of the First Division Memorial at Washington D.C...

First Division Memorial / Victory..
Division of the American Expeditionary Force (Infantry) that served in World War I.
The Memorial was dedicated on October 4, 1924..
Sculptor: Daniel Chester French created the gilded bronze firgure of "Victory"..
Architect: Cass Gilbert designed the obelisk, base and setting..
Location: The First Division Memorial is located in President's Park, south of the Executive Office Building and East of the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.

CTA Arts-in-Transit: Kimball Station [Hope and Renewal - by Josh Garber]

2011-11-17T04:27:00.000-08:00

Hope and Renewal
By Josh Garber
2007 /Powder-coated aluminum
Location: CTA Station: Kimball [Brown Line]
Under the CTA Arts-in-Transit program,
where CTA stands for Chicago Transit Authority..

From the CTA Arts-in-Transit website..
Resembling architectural columns, this pair of sculptures depicts the
lotus blossom, a universal symbol of hope and rebirth. Metaphorically, the
flower-forms symbolize the aspirations of the Albany Park community, which is among the most diverse in Chicago. Artist Josh Garber hand-crafted these sculptures of thousands of aluminum bars and molded each petal of the lotus blossom to function as seating.

RELATED LINKS..
CTA Arts-in-Transit Program..

CTA Arts-in-Transit: Kedzie Station [Round and Round, by Anne Marie Karlsen]

2011-11-16T06:16:00.000-08:00

Round and Round
by Anne Marie Karlsen
2007, Art glass
Location: CTA Station: Kedzie [Brown Line]
Under the CTA Arts-in-Transit program,
where CTA stands for Chicago Transit Authority..

From the CTA Arts-in-Transit website..
Round and Round celebrates the historic and ongoing connection between the Kedzie station and the community. Anne Marie Karlsen achieved the kaleidoscopic motif by layering graphic imagery with color via photomontage. From a distance, the pattern of circles and semi-circles suggests the motion of train wheels, but a close look reveals images from historic photographs of train cars, the Kedzie station and the
surrounding neighborhood.

RELATED LINKS..
CTA Public Art..

CTA Arts-in-Transit: Francisco Station [Carpet - by Ellen Harvey]

2011-11-16T06:05:00.000-08:00

Carpet
By Ellen Harvey
2007, Mosaic of hand-cut marble
Location: CTA Station: Francisco [Brown Line]
Under the CTA Arts-in-Transit program,
where CTA stands for Chicago Transit Authority..

From the CTA Arts-in-Transit Program website..
Artist Ellen Harvey’s mosaic transforms an ordinary pathway into the image of an oriental carpet, a symbol of artistic and cultural exchange befitting the culturally diverse community surrounding the Francisco station. Just as a welcome mat serves as the transition between outdoors and indoors, the mosaic carpet symbolically links the station with the residential community, marking the transition between public and private spaces utilized by CTA riders.

RELATED LINKS..
CTA Public Art..

CTA Arts-in-Transit: Damen Station [American Tourister, by Ron Baron]

2011-11-16T04:56:00.000-08:00

American Tourister
By Ron Baron
2008 / Bronze
Location: CTA Station: Damen [Brown Line]
Under the CTA Arts-in-Transit program,
where CTA stands for Chicago Transit Authority..

The components of Ron Baron’s whimsical sculptures contain a history accumulated through years of use. Assembled from bronze castings of assorted vintage briefcases, suitcases and chairs culled from thrift stores and yard sales, the sculptures appear from a distance to be furniture or stacked luggage, but closer inspection rewards viewers with the discovery of embedded dioramas of travel scenes...

RELATED LINKS..
CTA Public Art..

Contemporary Sculptors of Chicago - Virginio Ferrari..

2011-11-13T06:45:00.000-08:00

Virginio Ferrari at his Studio in the Loop, Chicago..

Continuing with my series on Contemporary Sculptors of Chicago, here is Virginio Ferrari, a big name in the international sculpture scene, with artworks all around the world, in public spaces, museums and private collection. Virginio Ferrari is an Italian sculptor, born in Verona. In the middle of the 1960s, he came to Chicago. From 1966 until 1976, he was the artist in residence, and professor of art at the University of Chicago. He now divides his time between Chicago and Verona. Chicago contains more than thirty of his public sculptures. I have documented two:
- Being Born [1983]
- Dialogo [1971]

Being Born, [1983].. click here..
Location: The intersection of Ontario, Ohio, and Orleans Sts..
at the Ohio Street exit of the Kennedy Expressway

Dialogo [1971].. click here..
Location: University of Chicago, Albert Pick Hall for International Studies..

Ferrari's work reflect various stylistic developments ranging from formalist to abstract expressionism, surrealist and minimalist periods. Works in traditional materials, such as bronze, marble and wood to industrial materials including stainless steel, corten steel and aluminum, as well as experimental materials like naugahyde, plastics and found objects.

Virginio Ferrari at his studio, in the Loop.. He gave me many catalogs and reading materials. This is him, signing an autograph for me.
[YES! I am very lucky!]

One of the catalogs has an Artist Statement..
In an urban environment with its social problems, the individual can decide either to become involved or to remain indifferent, but he must make that choice again each day since the problems remain. They are part of society and have made the city. Art, architecture and city planning are extremely important and they take shape from this urban reality. I have been completely involved with this reality, its negative/positive dynamics, its empty and full spaces.

Today, in this period of mass production of images, of mass production in general, it is perhaps time to consider how fast things disappear and to become more aware of the process of making art to live with.

Consequently, my sculptures since 1963 have interacted with the enviornment, often playfully in contrast to it, at other times fully participating in it.

I want to create situations that delight the eye, in the parks, in the streets and in the squares and corners of the city. I want the passerby to be pleasantly surprized to meet up with sculpture, as though it were a natural part of the city landscape. The interaction of sculpture with casual observer can give modern city a human dimension.
- Virginio Ferrari.

Below are some images Itook at his studio..

My Special Thanks goes to another talented sculptor Jason Verbeek, who made my meeting with a giant in the international public art scene, Virginio Ferrari possible!

RELATED LINKS:
Contemporary Sculptors of Chicago: Various Artists..

CTA Arts in Transit: Sedgwick Station [Time is the Enemy - by Carlos "Dzine" Rolon..]

2011-11-11T06:09:00.000-08:00

Time is the Enemy..
By Carlos Dzine Rolos..
2009 /Venetian glass, marble and stone mosaic..
Location: CTA Station: Sedgwick [Brown Line]
Under the CTA Arts-in-Transit program,
where CTA stands for Chicago Transit Authority..

Infused with a spirit of playful escapism, this mural offers a breath of otherworldly dimensions in a familiar setting. The texture of hand-cut Venetian glass, assembled in a traditional, painstaking process, contrasts with the animation and energy of the composition. Mirrored glass adds movement to this rhythmic and flowing work befitting Old Town’s history as an artistic and counter-cultural enclave.

RELATED LINKS..
CTA Public Art..

CTA Arts-in-Transit: Fullerton Station

2011-11-11T05:42:00.001-08:00

Doors Open Everywhere at Fullerton - By Michael Dinges..

Fullerton Station has two public art pieces, one indoors and one outdoors..
- Doors Open Everywhere at Fullerton - By Michael Dinges
- Landslide - By Derick Malkemus
Location: CTA Station Fullerton [Brown Line]
Under the CTA Arts-in-Transit program,
where CTA stands for Chicago Transit Authority..

Landslide - By Derick Malkemus..

Doors Open Everywhere at Fullerton
- By Michael Dinges
2009 / Venetian glass, marble and stone mosaic
CTA Arts in Transit Program

The CTA website describes..
The distant horizon of Michael Dinges’ abstracted prairie landscape
beckons commuters entering the station, drawing their eyes up the
stairway to the mezzanine. A broad expanse of gold and green, and
the luminous, diffused colors of the overarching sky evoke a feeling
of boundlessness to match the sense of possibilities one may feel
when setting out for a new destination.

Landslide
by Derick Malkemus
2009 /Cast bronze
CTA Arts in Transit Program..

The CTA website describes..
Abstract, dynamic and impeccably detailed, Landslide, like all of Derick Malkemus’ work, is a three-dimensional drawing — as significant for its lines as for its forms. Employing a unique visual vocabulary, the artist intends his work to be an expression through form, without narrative, to be appreciated without need for a verbal explanation.

RELATED LINKS..
CTA Public Art..

CTA Arts-in-Transit: California Station [Amor - by Christopher Tavares Silva]

2011-11-10T07:05:00.000-08:00

Amor..
By Chicago artist Christopher Tavares Silva..
November, 2004..
Location: CTA Station: California [Pink Line]
As a part of CTA Arts-in-Transit Program..
Where CTA is Chicago Transit Authority..

The CTA website describs it as..
The circular flight of birds from heart to heart suggests the passing of love from person to person and place to place, as well as the coming and going of passengers. The migration of birds from clear to rainy skies symbolically endorses the virtues of promoting love through times of both happiness and hardship.

Chicago artist Christopher Tavares Silva started out as a street artist and has become an important painter and muralist in Chicago. He has work in the City of Chicago Public Art Collection and has been a long time member of the Chicago Public Art Group. The imagery of birds is a continuous symbol that Silva uses in both his public and studio work..

RELATED LINKS..
CTA Public Art..

CTA Arts-in-Transit: Diversey Station [Arriving Home - by Dennis Oppenheim]

2011-11-10T06:51:00.000-08:00

Arriving Home..
By Dennis Oppenheim..
2008/ Steel, ploycarbonate sheet, acrylic sheet, epoxy paint..
Location: CTA Station: Diversey [Brown Line]
CTA Arts-in-Transit Program..
Where CTA stands for Chicago Transit Authority..

Arriving Home suggests the path of a house travelling on a spiral path through space. This dynamic represents travel, brings physical evidence to the emotional built-up experienced by an individual as they approach the destination.

"The image of home is a metaphor for a destination - it represents a safe comfortable shelter - a safe passage."
- Dennis Oppenheim..

RELATED LINKS..
CTA Public Art..

CTA Arts-in-Transit: Southport Station [Green and Yellow - by Elizabeth Fraiberg]

2011-11-10T06:37:00.000-08:00

Green (North Wall)- by Elizabeth Fraiberg..

Green (North Wall) & Yellow (South Wall)
- By Elizabeth Fraiberg
2008 /Transfer-printed glazed ceramic tile
Location: CTA Station: Southport [Brown Line]..
Under the CTA Arts-in-Transit program,
where CTA stands for Chicago Transit Authority..

The abstract imagery of these murals is derived from the artist’s own photographs of the neighborhood surrounding the Southport station,
which she layered and transformed through digital collage. The yellow mural is meant to energize and inspire patrons on their commute into the Loop, while the green mural is intended to impart feelings of coolness and serenity as they return home..

Yellow (Sorth Wall)- by Elizabeth Fraiberg..

RELATED LINKS..
CTA Public Art..

CTA Chicago Public Art Group: Roosevelt Station [Hopes and Dreams - by Juan Chavez and Corinne Peterson]

2011-11-10T04:12:00.000-08:00

Hopes and Dreams...
Artists: Juan Chavez and Corinne Peterson ..
Description: Carved clay tile and mosaic mural..
Location: CTA Station Roosevelt [Red Line/Orange/Green Line]
CTA Chicago Public Art Group..
Where CTA stands for Chicago Transit Authority..

This 1,600 square feet of mosaic is composed of more that 4,000 tiles It's created by men, women and children on the Museum Campus in the summer of 1999. Participants were asked to create images relating the themes that link the citywide, yearlong cultural exploration of Project Millennium: origins, transitions, new directions, discovery and technology, the environment, and shaping community. They also incorporated their hopes and dreams for the new millennium into their carved tiles. The mosaic design takes the form of a shifting landscape. Tiles shape the clouds, plants, trees, forests, oceans, earth and space. The entire composition can also be seen to be a human figure in nature, symbolizing the constant human search to understand nature, our surroundings, and ourselves.

RELATED LINKS..
CTA Public Art..

CTA Adopt-A-Station: 18th Street Station / Pilsen [Untitled]

2011-11-09T07:03:00.000-08:00

Untitled
By Francisco Mendoza; Gallery 37 students and the Mexican Museum of National Art..
1998 / Painted wall murals..
Location: CTA Station: 18th Street [Pilsen]
Adopt-A-Station Program..

From the CTA website..
Covering the steel panels of the station wall, several murals symbolize and tell stories about the neighborhood that the 18th station serves. Each of the colorful murals illustrates a different story of rich Mexican heritage while also depicting many important cultural icons in Mexican history.

I found some interesting information on these murals, in the Chicago Reader website, in an article by Brenna Ehrlich, "The Murals at the 18th Street El Stop"..Here's an excerpt..
In 1993 the CTA, with the city-run youth art program Gallery 37 and the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum (now the National Museum of Mexican Art), commissioned art teacher Francisco Mendoza to beautify the station. Mendoza enlisted his students at Gallery 18, a satellite program of Gallery 37, along with anyone else in the neighborhood who could paint. “It was like having a jazz session,” he says. “Artists would come up and say, ‘I can paint, I have an idea,’ and I would give them the colors they needed.”

Stairways..

paintings on the steps..

RELATED LINKS..
CTA Public Art..

Lincoln Park [Kwagulth IndianTotem: Kwanusila, The Thunderbird]

2011-11-08T03:29:00.000-08:00

Kwanusile, The Thunderbird..
Kwagulth Indian totem pole..
Sculptor:Tony Hunt, the chief of the Kwagulth tribe in British Columbia..
The existing totem pole installed in 1956. It is a replacement of the original toem pole that stood at the site since 1929.
Location: Lincoln Park at Addison Street..
just east of Lake Shore Drive in the Lake View neighborhood..

The colorfully painted totems include a grimacing sea monster at the bottom, a man riding a whale above it, and Kwanusila the Thunderbird on top..

Kwanusila, the Thunderbird...

Kwanusila, the Thunderbird, with wings outspread and claws grip the tail of the whale..

A man riding a whale..

The head of a sea monster forms the base. It supports the whale, that carries the figure of a man on the back, and is topped by Kwanusila, the Thunderbird...

Kwanusila, the Thunderbird, is an authentic Kwagulth Indian Totem Pole, carved in red cedar by Tony Hunt of Fort Rupert, British Columbia.
The crests carved upon the totem pole represent Kwanusila, the Thunderbird, a whale with a man on its back, and a sea monster.
Kwanusila is an exact replica of the original Kraft Lincoln Park Totem Pole, which was donated to the City of Chicago by James L. Kraft on June 20, 1929, and which stood on this spot until October 9, 1985.
Kwanusila is dedicated to the schoolchildren of Chicago, and was presented to the city of Chicago by Kraft, Inc. on May 21, 1986.

RELATED LINKS..
# Big Beaver..
# Kwanusila, The Thunderbird ..
# Totem Poles in Chicago..

LSE: 2011 [Prairie Town Dweller - by Nicole Beck]

2011-11-02T18:02:00.000-07:00

Prairie Town Dweller..
By Nicole Beck
10’7” x 3’8” / Glass Mosaic & Stainless Steel
Location: 3505 N. Southport - Sheil Park
Sponsor: Lakeview Chamber of Commerce..

From the Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit [LSE} website..
When an artist chooses another artist to honor, it is always wise to select one whose style compliments their own. “Prairie Town Dweller” is Nicole Beck’s homage to the celebrated architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Beck has taken the lines and angles, the lessons about economy of space and simplicity to fruition but what the artist and the architect truly have in common is their use of light. Lloyd Wright’s seamless designs and innovative uses of space and furniture made him famous, but his introduction of abundant natural light into the American home will forever be his legacy.

Beck is a master at creating vivid mosaic work. “Prairie Town Dweller” fills a shining stainless steel frame with open spaces and dazzling tile work that catch, reflect and filter sunlight- simply and majestically accenting light where it otherwise may have gone unnoticed...

RELATED LINKS:
# LSE: 2011 [Various Artists] ..
# LSE..

LSE: 2011 [Burst - by Dusty Flowarczny]

2011-11-02T17:57:00.000-07:00

Burst
By Dusty Folwarczny
10’ x 22” x 22” / Recycled Steel
Location: Sheridan/Sheffield and Dakin
Sponsor: East Lake View Neighbors..

From the Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit [LSE} website..
For Dusty Folwarczny the salvaged steel ring is not a signature medium but a lexicon. Folwarczny uses the image over and over, each time with new and beautiful meaning; writing and rewriting poetry with her limited alphabet. Folwarczny, a Truman State educated artist whose father owned a steel company, has worked with salvaged steel for many years.

Her newest work, “Burst” tells a story that is nuclear. It is atomic. It’s a solar hot, static work of curving steel. The piece combines rings of various size and shape to create another solid, industrial, attractive work by the Chicago based artist...

RELATED LINKS:
# LSE: 2011 [Various Artists] ..
# LSE..

Sculptural Installations & Exhibits: 2011

2011-11-01T04:13:00.000-07:00

The Runners..
By Theodoros Papagiannis
Installed: March-April: 2011
Location: O'Hare International Airport
Perhaps the biggest addition to the permanent collection in Chicago's more than 600 plus pieces of Public Art..
For more, click here..

Year 2011: Sculptural Installations and Exhibits..
October, the Chicago Artist Month, is over. There are still two more months for the New Year. However, I still prepared a list of installations in the year 2011, that I was able to see, photograph and document through my blog..
Thanks to everyone who informed me, and invited me, to their installations and exhibits. I endeavor to make a comprehensive list of sculptures in Chicago, and I need all the help, good wishes and information I can get.. So please keep me informed..
Enjoy the recap..

Interconnected
By Yvonne Domenge..
Temporary Exhibit
Location: Millennium Park..
which includes four artwork pieces.. Tree of Life, Coral, Tabachin Ribbon, and Wind Waves..
For more, click here..

Forever Marilyn
by Seward Johnson..
Temporary Exhibit
Location: Pioneer Court..
For more, click here..

Helping Hands, A Memorial to Jane Addams
By Louis Bourgeois
Reinstallation..
Funded by B.F.Ferguson Monument Fund..
Location: Chicago Women's Park and Gardens, Prairie Avenue..
For more, click here..

Restless Rainbow..
by Pae White
Temporary Exhibit
Location: AIC [Bluhm Family Terrace..]
For more, click here ..

Avenue of Sculpture..
By various sculptors of CSI..
Temporary Outdoor Exhibit
Presented by Artropolis, 2011..
Location: Merchandise Mart..
For more, click here..

Go Do Good
By Kay Rosen
Temporary Exhibit
Presented by Loop Alliance..
Location: Loop..
Chicago Loop Alliance, in association with United Way of Metropolitan Chicago..
For more, click here..

Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit
By Various Artists
Temporary Exhibit
Location: Lincoln Park..
For more, click here..

Murals
By Jeff Zimmerman
Location: Oak Street Beach
For more, click here..

A Small Sample
by Derick Malkemus
Temporary Exhibit
Presented by Sculptours
Location: Cliff Dwellers..
For more, click here..

A Celebration of Form
By Terrence Karpowicz
Temporary Exhibit
Presented by Sculptours..
Location: Cliff Dwellers..
For more, click here.

Urban Totems
by Eric H. Steele
Temporary Exhibit
Location: Chicago Cultural Center
For more, click here..

Sculptures
By Mike Baur
Temporary Exhibit
Location: Willis Tower
For more, click here..

Sculptures in Bronze
By Jean Jacques Porret
Temporary Exhibit
Location: Willis Tower
For more, click here..

Under the Golden Dome
By various artists [CSI members]
Temporary Exhibit..
Location: Garfield Park Fieldhouse..
For more, click here..

Form in Flora - II
By various artists
Temporary Exhibit
Location: Lincoln Park Conservatory..
For more, click here..

Meridian IX..
by Ed McCullough
Location: Kankakee Community College
Although this is not in Chicago, but I still thought I'll mention it in this list, as few sculptures of the Meridian series can be found in the city..
For more, click here..

RELATED LINKS:
The Runners - by Theodoros Papagiannis..
Interconnected - by Yvonne Domenge..
Forever Marilyn - by Seward Johnson..
Helping Hands - by Louis Bourgeois..
Restless Rainbow - by Pae White..
Avenue of Sculpture - by Various Artists [CSI members]..
Go Do Good - by Kay Rosen..
Murals - by Jeff Zimmerman..
A Small Sample - by Derick Malkemus..
A Celebration of Form - by Terrence Karpowicz..
Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit - by Various Artists..
Urban Totems - by Eric H. Steele..
Sculptures - by Mike Baur..
Sculptures in Bronze - by Jean Jacques Porret..
Under the Golden Dome - by Various Artists..
Form in Flora - by Various Artists..
Meridian IX - by Ed McCullough..

International following of this blog...

2011-10-30T05:51:00.000-07:00

International following of this blog..

This blog in French

2011-10-30T05:49:00.000-07:00

I found my blog translated in French!

LSE 2011 [Icarus, by S. Thomas Scarff]

2011-10-29T06:26:00.000-07:00

Icarus
By S. Thomas Scarff
24’ x 6’ x 6’ / Aluminum, LED and Neon
Location: Fullerton, Lincoln and Halsted
Sponsor: Wrightwood Neighbors Conservation Association..

From the Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit [LSE} website..
Scarff is a full-time sculptor based in Chicago. His use of illumination in large public sculptures was seen in last year’s exhibition with his piece, “Goddess of the Wind and Sand”. The same techniques can be seen in Scarff’s most current featured work, “Icarus”.

The title of Scarff’s piece will immediately recall the old tale of young Icarus who, with his craftsman father Daedalus, attempted to escape their imprisonment by crafting wings. Ignoring his father’s warnings and acting on every young boy’s impulse, Icarus flew too close to the sun, melting the makeshift wings causing him to plummet to Earth. In “Icarus”, the bronze boy is seen in descent, while the sculpture’s curved silver beams create the appearance of rapid downward motion. Scarff is truly a master of sculptures and light use, and “Icarus” is as ambitious a use of his skills as were Daedalus’ wings.

RELATED LINKS:
# LSE: 2011 [Various Artists] ..
# LSE..

LSE: 2011 [Various Artists]

2011-10-29T05:27:00.000-07:00

Boundless..
by Boyan Marinov
6’ x 5’ x 5’ / Metal
Location: Burton and Wells [Old Town]
Sponsor: Old Town Merchants and Residents Association
For more, click here..

Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit..
The Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit is a privately funded, not-for-profit corporation. Sponsors from the community contribute financially, serve on the jury and attend related events. Their commitment to providing our neighborhood with this unique form of beautification makes this event possible every year and we could not do this without their support.

The "Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit" started in 2002 ...
Each year, there are 20 large-scale sculptures on display throughout the 43rd and 44th Wards, extending from Burton on the south to Irving Park on the north and from the lakefront to Southport. The display is from spring of one year to spring of the next year ... The theme changes each year ... Every piece is available for sale at the conclusion of the show.

Prairie Town Dweller..
By Nicole Beck
10’7” x 3’8” / Glass Mosaic & Stainless Steel
Location: 3505 N. Southport - Sheil Park
Sponsor: Lakeview Chamber of Commerce..
For more, click here..

Icarus
By S. Thomas Scarff
24’ x 6’ x 6’ / Aluminum, LED and Neon
Location: Fullerton, Lincoln and Halsted
Sponsor: Wrightwood Neighbors Conservation Association..
For more, click here..

Balancing Act
By John Adduci
15’ x 4.5’ x 4’ / Aluminum
Location: Stockton Dr. and Webster
Grandmother's Garden, Lincoln Park..
Sponsor: Newsweb Corporation
For more, click here..

Burst
By Dusty Folwarczny
10’ x 22” x 22” / Recycled Steel
Location: Sheridan/Sheffield and Dakin
Sponsor: East Lake View Neighbors..
For more, click here..

Once Around the Block
By Andrew Arvantes..
9’ x 4’ x 6’ / Stainless Steel..
Location: Dickens and Lincoln Park West - LP Cultural Center
Sponsor: Mid-North Association..
For more, click here..

Getting Older While Standing in Line..
By Wilfredo Velez Jr.
8’6” x 10’ x 4’ / Fiberglass Resin
Location: Eugenie and Cleveland [St. Michael’s Church]
Sponsor: Old Town Triangle Association..
For more, click here..

RELATED LINKS..
# Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit..
LSE: 2011..
# LSE: 2011 [Prairie Town Dweller - by Nicole Beck]..
# LSE: 2011 [Icarus - by S. Thomas Scarff]..
# LSE: 2011 [Burst - by Dusty Folwarczny]..
# LSE: 2011 [Once Around The Block - by Andrew Arvantes]...
# LSE: 2011 [Getting Older.. - by Wilfredo Velez Jr.]..
# LSE: 2011 [Boundless - by Boyan Marinov]..
# LSE: 2011 [Balancing Act - by John Adduci]..

LSE: 2011 [ Once Around The Block - by Andrew Arvantes..]

2011-10-27T06:52:00.000-07:00

Once Around the Block
By Andrew Arvantes..
9’ x 4’ x 6’ / Stainless Steel..
Location: Dickens and Lincoln Park West - LP Cultural Center
Sponsor: Mid-North Association..
Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit [LSE]: 2011..

From the Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit [LSE] website..
In his 25 years as a sculptor, Andrew Arvanetes has displayed work all over the country; Texas, Iowa, Arizona, and Wisconsin. How-ever, if his sculptures were to be collected into one space, what you would find would be more reminiscent of a cast of characters than a sculpture garden. Though there is nothing human about Arvanetes’ steel sculptures - he always manages imbue an expression of humanity into his work by including a jaunty angle or curious tilt.

The newest character in Arvanetes’ cast, “Once Around The Block”, fits easily into a body which he describes as “object oriented, narrative work.” And, in true deference to imagination, Arvanetes leaves it up to the viewer to dream their own story.

RELATED LINKS:
# LSE: 2011 [Various Artists] ..
# LSE..

Willis Tower Temporary Exhibit [Sculptures in Bronze - by Jean Jacques Porret] Part I

2011-10-25T21:27:00.001-07:00

People..

Sculptures in Bronze..
By Jean Jacques Porret
Location: Willis Tower..
There are about 32 sculptures, big and small. I photographed about 24 of them, and am posting them in two parts...
For more.. click on Part II ..

Prologue..

Flirt

Chaperonne..

Legacy..

Flamboyente..

Boheme..

Ottello..

Jean Jacques Porret is the conductor of a ballet in bronze. Like the classical dance technique, Porret's surreal sculptures transcend the mere human form they represent, and instead draw the viewer in with their delicate expressionsim, rhythmic movement, and abstract sensuality.

To categorize Jean-Jacque's work as figural or abstract is moot. Though figurative in practice, the work is never about figure, but the emotion and ideas shared by human race, expressed in fuild curves and precarious balance. Though abstract in nature, the recognizable form and innate human residing within each piece is impossible to ignore. Thus we are given a case-study in restraint, with the artist utilizing the best aspects of each genre without clouding his final result, creating a self-styled harmony Porret symply describes as "rhythm in space".

The ability to do this is any material is impressive, in bronze sublime. Only in using the intense process of the lost-wax technique is Jean-Jacques able to carry out his poetic experiments, the outcome is a testimonial to one of nature's most hard and brittle elements, elevated to flowing, enigmatic forms at the hands of man..

Related Links..
Sculptures in Bronze - by Jean Jacques Porret [Part I]..
Sculptures in Bronze - by Jean Jacques Porret [Part II]..

Willis Tower Temporary Exhibit [Sculptures in Bronze - by Jean Jacques Porret] Part II

2011-10-25T19:36:00.000-07:00

Chaperonne..

Continued from above post, click here..
Sculptures in Bronze..
By Jean Jacques Porret
Location: Willis Tower..

Wisdom..

Flamboyente..

Geisha..

Set of Four [Chaperonne, Wisdom, Flamboyante and Geisha]

Fugue..

Burlesque..

Renegade..

Awakening..

Set of Three [Burlesque, Renegade and Awakening]

Apogee..

Panache..

Accolade..

Geisha..

LSE: 2011 [Getting Older while Standing in Line - by Wilfredo Velez Jr.]

2011-10-18T03:32:00.000-07:00

From the LSE website..
Wilfredo Velez received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Northeastern Illinois University. Velez is a young artist who is still developing his expressive voice. He knows himself, his origins, and influences well enough to know that his experiences as a Latino and a Chicagoan will be central to his art no matter what his final aesthetic looks like.

“Getting Older While Standing in Line” represents a scene Velez would have encountered numerous times growing up in Chicago. The five figures presented in diminishing, stooping stature are Velez’s representation of the interminable feeling experienced while losing time waiting in line at the post office, library, bank or grocery store. By tapering the scene with a clear border around its base we know that Velez envisions this as only a small snapshot of the line which, if we could expand the confines of the sculpture, would go on ceaselessly in both directions.

RELATED LINKS:
# LSE: 2011 [Various Artists] ..
# LSE..

LSE: 2011 [Boundless - by Boyan Marinov]

2011-10-17T20:02:00.000-07:00

Boundless..
by Boyan Marinov
6’ x 5’ x 5’ / Metal
Location: Burton and Wells [Old Town]
Sponsor: Old Town Merchants and Residents Association
Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit [LSE] 2011..

From the LSE website..
Boyan Marinov, who owns and runs his own custom furniture shop, is new to formal sculpture. This freshman work, “Boundless”, reveals Marinov as an artist to watch as both technically skilled and thematically daring.

The figure in Boyan’s “Boundless” is not constrained by chains, but composed of them. As the sum of his potential shackles, the figure does not stoop or stall but leans forward and advances. Because the iron skin of the sculpture was left untreated and vulnerable to the elements, “Boundless” will rust. In naturally becoming weaker with age, the work is a reminder that the struggle to become boundless is not Sisyphean, but temporal and thus worthwhile...

RELATED LINKS:
# LSE: 2011 [Various Artists] ..
# LSE..

LSE: 2011 [Balancing Act - by John Adduci]

2011-10-12T10:40:00.000-07:00

Balancing Act
By John Adduci
15’ x 4.5’ x 4’ / Aluminum
Location: Stockton Dr. and Webster
Grandmother's Garden, Lincoln Park..
Sponsor: Newsweb Corporation
Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit [LSE} 2011...

From the LSE website..
John Adduci’s sculptures have been featured in shows and museums across North America, from Denver to Manitoba, Canada. The artist’s broad appeal is his talent for finding a simple, meaningful image and bestowing upon it a sense of spectacular wonder. He often recreates a single symbol or idea in gleaming aluminum, steel or bronze, buffered to reflect sunlight in wispy, electric streaks.

“Balancing Act”, Adduci’s shimmering submission to this year’s LSE, appears to pay homage to the hard hustling street performers from cities around the world whose livings are as precarious as a spinning plate. A living that is not too dissimilar from that of a sculptor whose job it is, in Adduci’s words, to “excite our intuition to explore, to see all sides,” and create an “on-the-street experience with art.”

RELATED LINKS:
# LSE: 2011 [Various Artists] ..
# LSE..

Lincoln Park Conservatory [ Form in Flora -II , by various artists]

2011-10-12T07:06:00.000-07:00

Fountain by Mike Helbing..

Form in Flora -II
As a part of Chicago Artist Month..
Location: Lincoln Park Conservatory..
Works by: Suzanne Cohan-Lange, Nicole Beck, Elena Rakochy, Mike Helbing, Corinne D. Peterson, Jill King, Phillip Shore, Eric H Steele, Barbara Cooper , Vivian Visser, James Worshan, Terrence Karpowicz..

Last year the show was at Garfield Park Conservatory..
# 2010: Form in Flora - Outdoor Installations..
# 2010: Form in Flora - Indoor Installations ...

Vivian Visser [Untitled]..

Terrence Karpowicz [ Between a Rock and a Hard Place]

Elena Rakochy [Huella Azul]..

Nicole Beck [Angel Orchid]..

Corinne D. Peterson [Fire in the Belly and Unaccompanied Suite]

Jill King [Web of Life]

Barbara Cooper [Paired Tools]

Suzanne Cohan-Lange [The Warning]

James Worshan [Precious Constructs]

Philip Shore [Offerings from the Garden of Time]

Eric H. Steele - Stele I

Mike Helbing - fountain..

A group of kids having fun at the Lincoln Park Conservatory..

Mile Helbing - The Fountain..
Vivian Visser - Untitled..
Terrence Karpowicz - Between a Rock and a Hard Place..
Elena Rakochy - Huella Azul..
Nicole Beck - Angel Orchid..
Corinne D. Peterson - Fire in the Belly and Unaccompanied Suite..
Jill King - Web of Life..
Barbara Cooper - Paired Tools..
Suzanne Cohan-Lange - The Warning..
James Worshan -Precious Constructs..
Philip Shore - Offerings from the Garden of Time..
Eric H. Steele - Stele I ..

DISCREPENCY???
The online invitation says works by: Suzanne Cohan-Lange, Nicole Beck, Elena Rakochy, Mike Helbing, Corinne D. Peterson, Jill King, Phillip Shore, Eric H Steele, Jason Verbeek, Vivian Visser, Bob Emser, Terrence Karpowicz...
But I did not see works by Vason Verbeen and Bob Emser..
Instead there are work by Barbara Cooper and James Worshan..
Let me know if I missed something..

Garfield Park [Under the Golden Dome - sculptures by various members of CSI]

2011-10-10T19:41:00.000-07:00

Under the Golden Dome...
Location: Garfield Park Fieldhouse..
This show is part of Chicago Sculpture International [CSI] partnering with the Chicago Park District [CPD] to bring more art to public places all around the city...not just downtown.
A part of Chicago Artist month [October]
There are sculptures by Terrence Karpowicz, John Sauve, Eric W. Stephenson, Ted Sitting Crow Garner and Dusty Folwarczny..

By Terrence Karpowicz..

By Eric W. Stephenson

By Dusty Folwarczny..

By Ted Sitting Crow Garner..

By John Sauve..

Garfield Park Fieldhouse..

Paintings by Jennifer Webster

2011-10-08T07:05:00.000-07:00

Paintings by Jennifer Webster..
My hobby makes me meet some of the most talented, most creative artists of Chicago. Here's an accomplished painter Jennifer Webster. Met her recently at the Cliff Dwellers, and then again yesterday, had the opportunity to photograph some of her works at Lipman Hearne, at 200 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago. But first her brief bio..

Jennifer Webster is a Chicago-based painter and graphic designer. She studied art in Italy and Switzerland and completed two degrees at the University of Illinois at Chicago; a B.F.A in graphic design and a B.F.A. in painting with a minor in art history. Jen now is a freelance graphic designer. She is also the curator and art committee chair for the renowned Cliff Dwellers Club, where she recently had a one-woman exhibit..

Jen, in front of her painting, "Green Pasture"..

A Piece of Sky..

Close-up from "A Piece of Sky"..

Painting her signature.

Vein of Gold

Tear

Singular

Plural..

Ancestors II

I had earlier seen these paintings at the exhibit at Cliff Dwellers..

RELATED LINKS..
Also at Cliff Dwellers..

Prairie Avenue: Chicago Women's Park and Gardens ["Helping Hands", Memorial to Jane Addams, by Louis Bourgeois]

2011-10-04T19:38:00.000-07:00

Helping Hands, A Memorial to Jane Addams
By Louis Bourgeois
Location: Chicago Women's Park and Gardens, Prairie Avenue..
The sculpture pays homage to Jane Addams [1860 – 1935], Chicago’s famous social reformer and Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Commissioned by the B.F. Ferguson Fund of the Art Institute of Chicago; established to honor great figures or evens in American history.
For more on B.F.Ferguson Monument Fund, click here ...

The sculpture was originally installed in 1996 at Navy Pier Park [Jane Addams Memorial Park]. After being vandalized at least twice, it was removed and stored in Park Distruict warehouse. Now it has been relocated at the Chicago Women's Park and Gardens.
Rededicated on Sep 24, 2011.
Chicago's excellent blogger Lynn Becker was present for the re-dedication, and posted an excellent report, "Dead Lumber Magnet restores Bourgeois Hands, for Jane Addams Memorial"..click here..

The sculpture consists of six pieces of rough hewn stone bases supporting a hand or a series of hands made out of black granite. These are "symbols" depicting different images of humankind - gentle baby, vulnerable child, able adult, aging parent. The hands are comforting, helping, strong in solidarity, the hands recall Addams's words: "Perhaps nothing is so fraught with the significance as the human hand...."

The SIX pieces are..

The plaque reads..
JANE ADDAMS SCULPTURE GARDEN - Visionary

SOCIAL PHILOSOPHER - Jane Adams envisioned a peaceful world community based on cooperation, mutual understanding, and acceptance of differences.
PRAGMATIST - She advocated the participation of all citizen in the creation of a just and democratic social order.
WRITER - She authored eleven books and hundreds of articles.
LECTURER - A compelling Public Speaker, she drew upon her experiences at Hull-House as a touchstone for larger social concerns.
DEFENDER - Committed to civil liberty, she deplored violence, stressed compassion and multicultural understanding, and promoted a vision that valued life over death and liberty over coercion.
MEMORIAL - This first monument in Chicago to a women is dedicated to Jane Addams and the many she served.
SYMBOLS - It depicts different images of humankind - gentle baby, vulnerable child, able adult, aging parent.
HANDS - Comforting, helping, strong in solidarity, the hands recall Addams's words: "Perhaps nothing is so fraught with the significance as the human hand...."

"Helping Hands", is installed next to Clarke House, Chicago's oldest house..

The sculpture is a tribute to a woman [Jane Addams, Chicago's famous social reformer and Nobel Peace Prize winner], created by a woman [Louis Bourgeoise, famous for contributions to contemporary art] and loacted in a park created to pay tribute to important women in the history of Chicago, "Chicago Women's Park and Gardens"..

RELATED LINKS..
# B.F.Ferguson Monument Fund ...
# Chicago Women's Park and Gardens..

REFERENCES..
# Relocation of Jane Addams Tribute Sculpture Garden, "Helping Hands” by Louis Bourgeois..
# Architecture Plus: "Dead Lumber Magnet restores Bourgeois Hands, for Jane Addams Memorial" ...

Cliff Dwellers [Sculptours presents "A Celebration of Form", by Terrence Karpowicz]

2011-10-01T09:03:00.000-07:00

Carol Hammerman and Christine Rojek of Sculptours, with Terrence Karpowicz.. My three big supporters from the sculpture community!!!!

From left.. Boyan Morinov, Elena Rakochy, Terrence Karpowicz, Ruth Aizuss Migdal, Christine Rojek, Bob Gordon, Carol Hammerman, Jennifer Webster, and Suzanne Cohan-Lange

October is Chicago Artist Month..
And Sculptors kicks off the event with a month long Exhibit "Celebration of Form" by a sculptor par excellence Terrence Karpowicz..
This is the sixth exhibit at Cliff Dwellers by Sulptours. Of these, this is the fourth exhibit I'm covering. Others are..

Coming back to "A Celebration of Form", there are window installations and wall installations..
Window Installations..

Wave Skipper
Lunar Perch
Acension
High Rider

Wall Installation

Cocoons

Wave Skippers.. Wood/Steel [2009]

Lunar Perch... Steel/Granite [2007]

Acension... Wood/Steel/Stone [2011]..

High Rider... Wood/Steel [2009]

Cocoons..

Artists Statement..
I continue to practice the craft of wood-working and joinery and I am especially drawn to the interaction of wind, water, sunlight and gravity on natural materials. My work is defined by the tension at the point of contact, or "joint" and the act of creating the tension. By joining irregular, organic materials with machine tooled geometric shapes of steel and stone. I create sculpture with actual and implied kinetic relationships among the elements and between sculpture and its environment.

The ways in which disparate materials interact with each other defines my life and my relationship with the world. Oak and granite nesting in congruent harmony. Stainless steel orbs spinning within walnut ellipses, granite shards twisting against armatures of steel - these elements are help together through my commitment to materials, history and craftsmanship

COCOONS..
The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, left me feeling numb and devastated, not only by the magnitude of the loss but also by the thought of our vulnerability. Inspired by these feelings and over the course of a year, I created small, intimate wooden sculptures and then covered [protected] them with a skin of fabric, usually advertising T-shits. After sizing the fabric, I applied a thin film of metal [iron, copper, bronze]. Acids were then applied to this film, causing a chemical reaction that resulted in the color seen in the finished products. This "armoured" cloth not only protected the tiny sculpture but also diffused the actual imagery, giving us only enough information to anticipate the activity that lies underneath. Like a chrysalis, the forms beneath the protective barriers are waiting for the right time to burst forth..

Now some images from the day..

The event began with a rainbow! Not very clear in the image, but if you see closely, you can spot it...

Boyan Marinov and Elena Rakochy..

Carol Hammerman, Terrence Karpowicz and Christine Rojek...

Christine Rojek, Suzanne Cohan-Lange and Carol Hammerman..

Boyan Morinov, Elena Rakochy, Terrence Karpowicz, Ruth Aizuss Migdal, Christine Rojek, Bob Gordon, Carol Hammerman, Jennifer Webster and Suzanne Cohan-Lange..

Grand Rapids, Michigan [Steel Water - by Cyril Lixenberg ]

2011-09-29T06:10:00.000-07:00

Steel Water
By Cyril Lixenberg
Dedicated 2007.
A gift to the city by the West Michigan Dental Foundation
The sculpture commemorates the role of Grand Rapids as the first city in the world to fluoridate its community water supply.

Steel Water..
Cyril Lixenberg Sculpture, 2007..
On Jan 25, 1945, Grand Rapids was the first community in the world to reduce tooth decay by adding fluoride to it's water supply. This sculpture was commissioned to celebrate and commemorate that historic event.

Before water fluoridation, many people lost all their teeth at an early age. Recruits were often rejected for service to their country in World War-II because of tooth loss due to uncontrolled cavities. Watrer fluoridation was the first step in restoring good oral health for our nation and indeed the world.

Dental decay afflicts nearly all of the world p[opulation, but through water fluoridation cavities was decreased by up to 65%. Grand Rapids pioneering step in advancing public health has spread worldwide, improving health and alleviating needless pain and suffering.

The West Michigan Dental Community..

Grand Rapids, Michigan [La Grande Vitesse - by Alexander Calder]

2011-09-28T08:54:00.000-07:00

La Grande Vitesse
[meaning "The Great Swiftness," a reference to the river flowing through the city's heart]
By Alexander Calder
Dedicated: June 1969.
54 feet long, by 43 feet high, by 30 feet wide
Financed by National Endowment for Arts Grants [NEA] and private funds.
Location: Vandenberg Plaza [Site of city and county administrative buildings]

The plaque reads..
La Grande Vitesse..
"La Grande Vitesse" the bright red stabile created for Grand Rapids by renowned artist and sculptor Alexander Calder, is a distinctive downtown landmark. Weighing 42 tons and standing four stories high, the steel abstraction was named, La Grande Vitesse, by the artist himself., a reference to the river that flows through the heart of the city.

Commissioned in 1967 to be installed on Vandenberg Plaza, site of the city and county administrative buildings. The complete work was dedicated to Grand Rapids by the artist in June 1969. It was the first piece of Public Art in America to be financed entirely therough the combination of National Endowment for the Arts granmts and private funds.

As he worked on "La Grande Vitesse", Alexander Calder developed close ties to Grand Rapids. Later he produced other art works for the city. His "Festival Sun" was adopted as symbol for the city's annual festival of arts celebration. In 1974 he created the "Calder on the Roof" as a gift to the people of Grand Rapids. The colorful abstract painting covers the roof of the Kent County Administrative Building, and can be seen from the upper floors of the surrounding buildings.

In the years since the dedication, "La Grande Vitesse" has come to sumbolize the city of Grand Rapids. Its profile has been adapted as the city logo, and the stabile itself has become the focal point of the festival of the arts. Begun by the Arts Council of Greater Grand Rapids to promote arts in Grand Rapids, :Festival" went on to become the largest all-volunteer celebration of its kind in the nation.

A Gift to the City from the Festival Committee on
June 2, 1989...

For the visually impaired..
A Scale Model [1/23 scale model of La Grande Vitesse] by sculptor hetzer Hartsock, in the southeast corner of the plaza.

RELATED LINKS..
# Alexander Calder - Various..
# Flamingo - by Alexander Calder..

Help identify [Grand Rapid, Michigan]

2011-09-28T07:40:00.000-07:00

Please help identify this piece..
Name:??
Sculptor: ???

Art Prize: 2011, Grand Rapids, Michigan

2011-09-25T05:46:00.000-07:00

Perseverence
By Raymond Vandamme
18' X 12' X 12'.
Medium: Recycled, re-used, re-purposed..
Year created: 2011
Location: Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum..
Top 25 in West Side.
For more, click here..

Art Prize: 2011, Grand Rapids, Michigan..
Arguably the most competent art competition is on.
Although I drove to Grand Rapids, to see the Art Prize, I consentrated more on permanent collection of art in Grand Rapids, especially the permanent collection at Frederik Meijer Sculpture Park. However I did see some fabulous entries for Art prize. Here are a few images..
All the images in this post, have made through the first round of Top 25 in their respective areas.

The Hand of God [Wrestling My Demons]
By Ian Loiteron..
7' X 11' X 6'.
Medium: Fiberglass, stainless steel and acrylic paint
Location: Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum..
Top 25 in West Side.
For more, click here..

Serenity Lake
By Carole A. Feurman [sculptor] and Ron Burkhardt [painter]..
5' X 12' X 8'
Medium: Oil on Resin [Sculpture], Acrylic on Canvas [Painting]
Location: DeVos Place..
Top 25 in Center City.
For more, click here..

Made in America
By Alisa Toninato
Medium: cast iron, birch plywood, Poplar wood frame.
Year created: 2011
Location: DeVos Place..
Top 25 in Center City.

"Rusty" A sense of direction/ self portrait of the artist..
By Ritch Branstrom
12' X 8' X 19'
Medium: Found Object Sculpture
Location: Grand Rapids Public Museum..
Top 25 in West Side.

Conversation With Myself..
By Lorri Acott
Medium: Cast aluminum
Year created: 2011
Location: Grand Rapids Public Museum..
Top 25 in West Side.

Reflection of A Fallen Soldier
By Mic Carlson
Medium: Cold Cast Bronze Sculpture
Year created: 2011
Location: Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum..
Top 25 in West Side.

Portal
By Christopher Weed
17' X 7' X 6'
Medium: Powder coated steel
Year created: 2010
Location: Grand Rapids Public Museum..
Top 25 in West Side.

Thousand Stars
By Libby Hodges
Medium: Recycled Plastic Water Bottles
Year created: 2011
Location: Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum..
Top 25 in West Side.

Art Prize: 2011, Grand Rapids, Michigan [Perseverence - by Raymond Vandamme]

2011-09-25T05:34:00.000-07:00

Perseverence
By Raymond Vandamme
18' X 12' X 12'.
Medium: Recycled, re-used, re-purposed..
Year created: 2011
Location: Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum

Art Prize: 2011, Grand Rapids, Michigan [The Hand of God - by Ian Loiterton]

2011-09-25T05:27:00.000-07:00

Above Image: Ian Loiterton with his work, "Hand of God, Wresting with My Dream"..

The Hand of God [Wrestling My Demons]
By Ian Loiteron..
7' X 11' X 6'.
Medium: Fiberglass, stainless steel and acrylic paint
Location: Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum..
From Art Prize website..
Description of work: The figure of the sculpture was originally inspired by Gauguin’s painting, “Vision after the Sermon; Jacob wrestling with the Angel”. Against this background, it is interesting to note that the original (two dimensional) figure was created years ago during a period of depression.
The intention of the Artist was to try to depict a figure wrestling with itself. In this sense, the struggle is not with an external being but rather with one’s own self.

Art Prize: 2011, Grand Rapids, Michigan (Serenity Lake - by Carole A. Feurman [sculptor] and Ron Burkhardt [painter])

2011-09-24T05:55:00.000-07:00

Above image: Carole A Feuerman [sculptor] and Ron Burkhardt [painter], wih Serenity Lake, at DeVos Place, Grand Rapids, Michigan..

Happy Belated Birthday to Carole A. Feurman..
I took an impulsive one-day trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan; and got rewarded by meeting one of my favourite sculptors, Carole A. Feurman! And it was her Birthday [Sep 21, 2011]
Happy Belated Birthday Carole!

Serenity Lake
By Carole A. Feurman [sculptor] and Ron Burkhardt [painter]..
5' X 12' X 8'
Medium: Oil on Resin (Sculpture), Acrylic on Canvas (Painting
Location: DeVos Place
From the Art prize website..
The collaborative work, whose theme is water, took over a year to create, and reflects the timeless innocence of youth. The sun shining on the child's face, her arms around the colorful beach ball, and the sandy shore remind us of a time of peaceful playfulness, where nothing else matters but the moment. Those quiet, in-between moments where you connect with your thoughts and your soul. With "Serenity Lake", the viewer waits for the child to open her eyes while we wonder what she is thinking..

My cherished collection: This signed picture given to me by Carole, with note..
Sep 21, 2011..
Dear Jyoti,
Thank You so much for your support.
Best Wishes,
Carole Feurman..
[Note the date: Sep 21. It was her Birthday!]

Some other works of Carole Feurman that I've seen..

Tree [2009]
Art Chicago, 2010, Merchandise Mart..

Moran [2008]
Art Chicago, 2011, Merchandise Mart..

Innertube [1997]
Art Chicago, 2011, Merchandise Mart..

Grand Rapids, Michigan [Frederik Meijer Sculpture Park - Part I]

2011-09-23T19:58:00.000-07:00

Earth, Wind, and Fire..
By Gary Price [Armerican, born 1955]
Bronze/ 1989.

Frederik Meijer Sculpture Park..
Perhaps the best collection of outdoor sculptures anywhere..
There are more than 50 sculptures, so I have divided them in three parts..

Bend of Mind
By Tony Cragg
Bronze, 2005.

Marching Band
Stuart Padnos [American, born 1922]
Scrap Metals, 1998.

Untitled
By Dietrich Klinge..

The Tribute
By Oliviero Rainaldi [Italian, born 1956]
Bronze, 2006.

Mad Mom
By Tom Otterness [American, born 1952]
Bronze, 2001.

Visitation
By Joseph Kinnebrew [American, born 1942]
Cast Iron, 1994-1997.

Light of the Moon
By Igor Mitoraj [Polish, born 1944]
Bronze, 1991.

Lying Man
By Sean Henry [British, born, 1965]
Bronze, 2003.

Colossus
By Michelle Oka Doner [American, born 1945]
Bronzze, 2003.

Elephant
By Barry Flanagan [Welsh, Born 1941]
Bronze, 1986; Cast 2003.

Cabin Creek
By Deborah Butterfield [American, born 1949]
Bronze, 1999.

Urban Excursion Rendezvous
By Chakaia Booker [American, born 1953]
Rubber, 2004.

Homage to Leonardo
By Nina Akamu [American, born 1955]
Bronze, 1998.

Neuron
By Roxy Paine [American, Born 1966]
Stainless Steel, 2010.

Male/Female
By Jonathan Borofsky.

Galileo's Wedge
By Beverly Pepper [American, born 1922]
Steel, 2009.

Sleepwalker
By Kiki Smith [American, born 1954]
Bronze, 2002-2008.

B- Tree II
By Kenneth Snelson [American, born, 1927]
Stainless Steel, 2005.

Figure on A Trunk
By Magdalena Abakanowicz [Polish, born 1930]
Bronze, 1998.

One and Other
By Anthony Gormley [British, born 1950]
Iron, 2000.

Bronze Form
By Henry Moore [British, 1898-1986]
Bronze, cast 1985.

Introspective
By Sophie Ryder
1999.

Fred and Lena Meijer
By A. Joseph Kinkel [American, born, 1950
Bronze, 2004.

Leaping Gazelle
By Marshall M. Fredericks
Bronze, 1936.

Hagar
By Jacques Lipchitz [Lithuanian, 1891-1973]
Stone, 1971.

RELATED LINKS..
Frederik Meijer Sculpture Park..

Grand Rapids, Michigan [Frederik Meijer Sculpture Park - Part III]

2011-09-23T17:21:00.000-07:00

Espaliered Girl
By Laura Ford [ British, born 1961]
Bronze, 2007.

Frederik Meijer Sculpture Park..
Perhaps the riches collection of sculptures at one place..
There are more than 50 sculptures, so I have divided them in three parts..

A Two Faced Guy
By Alexander Calder [American 1898-1976]
Painted Steel, 1969.

Disk in the Form of a Desert Rose
By Arnaldo Pomodoro [Italian, born 1926]
Bronze, 1993-1994, Cast 1999-2000.

Number 25 and Number 26
By Hanneke Beaumont..
Bronze, 1995-96.

Aria
By Alexander Liberman [Americssn (born Russia, 1912-1999]
Painter Steel, 1979-1983.

Maman
By Louise Bourgeoise
Steel and marble, 1999.

The Thunder
By Jim Dine [American, born 1935]
Bronze, 1991-1995.

Two Indeterminate Lines
Bernar Venet [French, born 1941]
Steel, 2003.

Odalisque IV
By Manuel Neri [American, born 1930]
Marble, 1994.

Broken Nose Carrying Bottle
Juan Munoz [Spanish, 1953-2001]
Bronze, 1999.

Four Open Squares, Horizontal Gyratory-Tapered
George Rickey [American, 1907-2002]
Stainless Steel, 1984.

Atmosphere and Enviornment XI
Louise Nevelson [American [Born Russia] 1899-1988]
Painted Weathering Corten Steel, 1969.

Julia
By Keith Haring [American, 1958-1990]
Painter Aluminum, 1987.

Mirage I and II
By Elisabeth Frink [British, 1930-1993]
Bronze 1969, Cast 1980.

Listening to History
By Bill Woodrow [British, born 1948]
Bronze, 1995; Cast 2001.

King and Queen
By David Nash [British, born 1945]
Bronze, Conceived 1997; Cast 2008.

Grosser Trefree
By Dietrich Klinge [German, born 1954]
Bronze, 2000.

I, You, She or He...
Jaume Plensa [Spanish, born 1955]
Stainless Steel and Stone, 2006.

Column of the Free Spirit
Richard Hunt [American, born 1935]
Bronze, 2000.

Grand Rapids Arch
Andy Goldsworthy [British, born 1956]
Sandstone, Installed 2005.

Mark di Suvero
Scarletti.

RELATED LINKS..
Frederik Meijer Sculpture Park..

Grand Rapids, Michigan [Frederik Meijer Sculpture Park - Part II]

2011-09-23T08:03:00.000-07:00

Eve
By Auguste Rodin [French, 1840-1917]
Bronze, 1881, Cast before 1920.

Frederik Meijer Sculpture Park..
Perhaps the riches collection of sculptures at one place..
There are more than 50 sculptures, so I have divided them in three parts..

Standing Woman
By Ossip Zadkine [French (born Belarus) 1890-1967]
Bronze, conceived 1922, Cast before 1967.

Torso of Summer
By Aristide Maillol [French, 1861-1944]
Bronze, 1911.

The Grain
By Germaine Richier [French 1904-1959]
Bronze, 1955.

Torso of A Knight
By Jean Arp [French, 1886-1966]
Bronze, 1959.

Juggler
By Marino Marini [Italian, 1901-1980]
Bronze, 1954, Cast before 1965.

Summer Dance
By Barbara Hepworth [British, 1903-1970]
Bronze, 1971.

Woman and Bird
By Joan Miro [Spanish, 1893-1983]
Painted Bronze, 1967.

Emma Sail
By Antony Caro [British, born 1924]
Steel, 1977-1984.

Working Model for Divided Oval: Butterfly
By Henry Moore [ British, 1898-1986]
Bronze, 1967; Cast 1982.

Beast XVI
By Lynn Chadwick [British 1914-2003]
Bronze, 1959.

Around
By Alexander Liberman [American, 1912-1999]
Painted Steel, circa 1976.

For J.W
By Tony Smith [American, 1912-1980]
Bronze, 1969, Fabricated 1971.

RELATED LINKS..
Frederik Meijer Sculpture Park..

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park..

2011-09-23T06:36:00.000-07:00

FREDERIK MEIJER SCULPTURE PARK..
Perhaps the riches collection of sculptures at one place..
There are more than 50 sculptures, so I have divided them in three parts..

Frederik Meijer Sculpture Park - Part I..
Gary Price - Earth, Wind and Fire
Tony Cragg - Bend of Mind
Stuart Padnos - Marching Band
Dietrich Klinge - Untitled
Oliviero Rainaldi - The Tribute
Tom Otterness - Mad Mom
Joseph Kinnebrew - Visitation
Igor Mitoraj - Light of Moon
Sean Henry - Lying Man
Michelle Oka Doner - Colossus
Barry Flanagan - Elephant
Deborah Butterfield - Cabin Creek
Chakaia Booker - Urban Excursion Rendezvous
Nina Akamu - Homage to Leonardo
Roxy Paine - Neuron
Jonathan Borofsky - Male/ Female
Beverly Pepper - Galileo's Wedge
Kiki Smith - Sleepwalker
Kenneth Snelson - B TreeII
Magdalena Abakanowicz - Figure on Trunk
Anthony Gormley - One and Other
Henry Moore - Bronze Form
Sophie Ryder - Introspective
A. Joseph Kinkel - Fred and Lena Meijer
Marshall M. Fredericks- Leaping Gazelle
Jacques Lipchitz - Hagar

Frederik Meijer Sculpture Park - Part II..
Auguste Rodin - Eve
Ossip Zadkine - Standing Woman
Aristide Maillol - Torso of Summer
Germaine Richier - The Grain
Jean Arp - Torso of a Knight
Marino Marini - Juggler
Barbara Hepworth - Summer Dance
Joan Miro - Woman and Bird
Anthony Caro - Emma Sail
Henry Moore - Working Model for a Divided Oval
Lynn Chadwick - Beast XVI
Alexander Liberman - Around
Tony Smith - For J.W.

Frederik Meijer Sculpture Park - Part III...
Laura Ford - Espaliered Girl
Alexander Calder - Two Faced Guy
Arnaldo Pomodoro - Disk in the Form of a Desert Rose
Hanneke Beaumont - Number 25 and Number 26
Alexander Liberman - Aria
Louise Bourgeoise - Maman
Jim Dine - The Thunder
Bernar Venet - Two Indeterminate Lines
Manuel Neri - Odalisque IV
Juan Munoz - Broken Nose Carrying Bottle
George Rickey - Four Open Squares, Horizontal Gyratory-Tapered
Louise Nevelson - Atmosphere and Enviornment XI
Keith Haring - Julia
Elisabeth Frink - Mirage I and II
Bill Woodrow - Listening to History
David Nash - King and Queen
Dietrich Klinge - Grosser Trefree
Jaume Plensa - I, You, She or He
Richard Hunt - Column of the Free Spirit
Andy Goldsworthy - Grand Rapids Arch
Mark di Suvero - Scarlatti

Some details..
Alexander Calder - A Two-Faced Guy..
Tony Cragg - Bend of Mind..
Sophie Ryder - Introspective..
Hanneke Beaumont - Number 25 and Number 26..
..
..

Frederik Meijer Sculpture Park [A Two Faced Guy - Alexander Calder]

2011-09-22T07:32:00.000-07:00

A Two Faced Guy
By Alexander Calder [American 1898-1976]
Painted Steel, 1969.

RELATED LINKS..
Frederik Meijer Sculpture Park..

Frederik Meijer Sculpture Park [Bend of Mind - by Tony Cragg]

2011-09-22T05:43:00.000-07:00

Bend of Mind..
By Tony Cragg..
Bronze/ 2005..
Location: Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park..
Grand Rapids, Michigan..

Perhaps one of the few favourites, I saw this year..
For my self-proclaimed love for figural, modern and abstract sculptures - it combines all.. It's fascinating how the various curves from some angle reminds of a human face and from another angle, is just nothing..

Best expalined in the website.. Cass Sculpture.. An excerpt..
The biomorphic profile of Bent of Mind alters continually as the onlooker moves around it, drawing the eye to its extremities as one attempts to make sense of the shifting and distorted forms. "Scale lends Cragg's objects a stable monumentality, yet the surfaces of works like Bent of Mind writhe with a mass of subtly hidden human profiles" . Moving around the piece, an outstretched neck evaporates into a rounded chin, which in turn dissipates into an unfamiliar contour that, in an instant, reveals itself to be a pursed lip or bulging forehead. Like a giant in a high-speed gurning competition, Cragg maps a multitude of human facial possibilities through his depiction of movement. This could even be a monument to the instability of emotion in the uncertain and fast-paced modern world. Contours pulling in opposing directions create tensions throughout, while the smooth, undulating bronze radiates with bold highlights and dark shadows. The highly polished surface enhances the striking presence of the fluid form as the interplay of natural light creates new emphasis on previously unnoticed patterns, textures and curves...

RELATED LINKS..
Frederik Meijer Sculpture Park..