Public Art in Chicago: New York: Rockefeller Center [Artwork by Barry Faulker and Gaston Lachaise]

1250 Avenue of the Americas

We see two prominent artworks..

- The loggia has glass mosaic,

"Intelligence Awakening Mankind", by Barry Faulkner..

- The facade has four relief panels,

"Aspects of Mankind", by Gaston Lachaise..

Glass tesserae on the loggia

"Intelligence Awakening Mankind"- by Barry Faulkner

1933 / Glass tesserae

79-foot long, 14-foot high

Location: 1250 Avenue of the Americas

From the Rockefeller Center website.. click here..

The mosaic of small glass-tiles [tesserae] is composed of over one million glass tiles in two-hundred and fifty colors, each hand-cut and hand-set. the work is a narrative concerning the triump of knowledge over the evil of ignorance. The central figure of thought [intelligence] stands above the world, controlling the action in the mosaic. The two other powerful signs in the piece are Spoken Words and Written Words. Other figures symbolize creativity, ideas and intellectual efforts. The mosaic's message is that thought will propagate new knowledge and advance civilization.

Unfortunately, I don't have many images of this beautiful glass mosaic by Barry Faulkner. I should have spent much more time at the Rockefeller Center.. but it was a short trip. Maybe another time..

Four panels of carved stone on the facade, named

Aspects of Mankind - by Gaston Lachaise

1935 / Bas-relief, Indiana limestone

Four bas-relief panels..

Each panel 11feet, 4 inches high, and 4 feet wide.

Location: 1250 Avenue of the Americas.

These four panels are: Genius Seizing Light of the Sun, The Conquest of Space,

Gifts of Earth to Mankind, The Spirit of Progress

From the Rockefeller Center website, click here..

These four allegorical stone carvings express ideal aspects of the development of modern civilization. "Genius Seizing the Light of the Sun" [the development of electricity and communication.] "The Conquest of Space" and "Gifts of Earth to Mankind" [an acknowledgement to spirituality] and "the Spirit of Progress" [a reference of the bond between capitalism and the unions during the building of the center]. Although Lachaise was not popular with art critics of the time, he was championed by Nelson and Abby Rockefeller, who were supporters of avant-garde artists and collectors of his work.