CHICAGO PUBLIC ART # 23 - EAGLE COLUMNS - 1989

Done by Richard Hunt, these forms are located in Jonquil Park, a small neighborhood park at 1023 West Wrightwood Avenue, at the junction of Lincoln, Sheffield and Wrightwood. Near his studio. According to Mr. Artner, Hunt has more monumental art on view here than any other Chicagoan.

These pieces posed a problem for me. While I liked them, I did not like them there. Personally, I think they should be where the "Reading Cones" are. Because the busy-ness of the neighborhood businesses in the background detract mightily.

You just cannot get a really good angle from which to appreciate them. And I'm not sure even which way they face. If north, then you have to stand across the street to view them, if south, then you should cross the park. But not from close up, unless you like craning your neck.

Yes, I liked them, beautiful forms evoking eagles and flight and soaring freedom. But not there. As you will see, from the pictures. They are quite impressive and somehow, spiritual, and deserve a better location.
I have included so many pics so you can see just what the problem is.

CHICAGO PUBLIC ART # 22 - READING CONES- 1988

Made by Richard Serra, a minimalist artist, and it shows. Situated about a block east of the east entrance to The Art Institute. On the south side of Monroe. And on the day I was there, in a rather bleak, barren landscape, which may be what the artist intended.
When I came upon these it was like "what the?" If this is art, for once it totally escapes me. But then I am no fan of minimalism. And I would dearly like to know if this form of art will still be around in 100 years or so.

Artner - "The greatest living sculptor in the United States contributes two arcs of steel perfectly conceived in relation to the human body [?] and cannily set in a blunt, dramatic relationship with land and sky."

Honestly, Mr. Artner would have to stand with me in front of those two pieces and explain all that, for I have no clue what he means. Yes, I can see that they are two arcs, but that's about all. Maaaybe a blunt dramatic relationship with land and sky, but human body? How? I simply cannot see it.
The steel is horribly rusted, and I'm not in love with rusted steel either. Although one site I did read says it is very difficult to bend steel into those shapes and at least the art should be appreciated for this technical skill. No. If a cook knows all about the ways of cooking and expertly fixes a meal that tastes terrible, I'm supposed to appreciate the art of cooking it. I think not. A filmmaker may know all about lighting, and photography, and editing, and have assembled a great cast, but if he cannot direct a story that involves us, what's the point?

And although I roamed all around the site, I could find not hide nor hair of any plaque or sign attributing this to Mr. Serra.
The reason it is called "Reading Cones" is because the steel was forged in Reading, Pennsylvania.

CHICAGO PUBLIC ART #21 - CHICAGO FUGUE - 1987

This one is in the lobby of the building at 190 South LaSalle Street, you can't miss it when you walk in. Done by Anthony Caro. Quoting Mr. Artner "An evocation of music very different [ yes indeed!] from Polasek's Thomas Memorial; this one, by Britain's leading living abstract sculptor, communicates not the general spirit of music [ as did the statue of the goddess Music] but something of one of its oldest constructions involving themes sounded in several parts or voices."
I am not that technically proficient in music to be able to comment on that. It does sound to me is if Artner is referencing the kind of songs sung in rounds, such as "Row,Row Your Boat". Although that is not old. But I could be totally wrong here. Whatever, I liked it. The Gregorian chants may be what he is talking about; I just don't know, and I don't think it matters. You like it or you don't, although certainly the more you know about a subject, the better you can appreciate it.

This is absolutely monumental in size. I'm sorry I don't have someone in the pictures to give you an idea, although the couch does help. There is a nice viewing area in front of it, with a 2 comfy sofas, chairs, coffee table. And a couple of chairs off to one side. There are guards at the doors, but as long as you are just staying in the lobby, it's fine.
One of the things I like about it is that it fits its space so perfectly. In looking at these pictures online, I notice that they really do not convey, in any sense, the power of this sculpture. You must see it. So if you are in the vicinity, please do drop in. It is well worth it.

CHICAGO PUBLIC ART # 20 - NEON FOR THE 14TH DISTRICT POLICE STATION - 1984

THIS PIECE OF PUBLIC ART IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO IS TOTALLY NON-FUNCTIONAL. THE POLICE WHO WORK IN THE STATION HAVE NOT SEEN IT WORK IN YEARS. THIS IS A DISGRACE. AND AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE TOP PICTURE, SOMEONE HAS THOUGHT TO PUT IN A FLORESCENT DROP LIGHT, WHICH TOTALLY DISFIGURES THE ART.

NOW IT LOOKS BASICALLY LIKE A BUNCH OF RED SQUIRMY WORMS ON THE CEILING.
ALTHOUGH YESTERDAY MORNING, A SUNDAY, THE POLICE IN THE STATION WERE WONDERFULLY INTERESTED AND FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL, THEY COULD NOT FIGURE OUT A WAY TO TURN IT ON, AND SAID THAT FOR YEARS WHEN IT WAS ON, IT SPUTTERED AND FRITZED AND DROVE THEM CRAZY. SOME OF THEM HAD NEVER SEEN IT ON AND ASKED TO SEE THE PICTURE I BROUGHT. I AM SURE THIS IS NOT WHAT STEPHEN ANTONAKOS, THE ARTIST, INTENDED. I HAVE WRITTEN HIM (HE HAS A NICE WEB SITE), TO SEE IF HE CAN HELP. TO THINK OF TAX DOLLARS GOING DOWN THE DRAIN LIKE THIS IS FRUSTRATING, ESPECIALLY IN THESE TIMES.

IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE WONDERFUL PICTURE OF WHAT THIS SHOULD LOOK LIKE, GO THE THE CITY OF CHICAGO'S WEB SITE UNDER "CHICAGO PUBLIC ART". AND THERE IS NOTHING THERE TO INDICATE THIS DOES NOT WORK. BUMMER.

I AM ALSO WRITING ALAN ARTNER, OF THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE, WHO LISTED THIS IN HIS TOP 25 PUBLIC ART WORKS FOR CHICAGO. DID HE KNOW THAT IT DIDN'T WORK WHEN HE PUBLISHED THAT LIST LAST JULY? (He did not. He wrote me back immediately to say he had called and asked about it, and was told it worked.)

HELP! EITHER DISMANTLE IT AND TAKE IT OFF THE LIST - OR FIX IT.

CHICAGO PUBLIC ART #19 - BODARK ARK - 1982

THIS IMAGE ON THE LEFT IS FROM THE AIR, TAKEN OFF THE SIGN.

THIS ONE IS FAR, FAR FROM ME, 40 MILES TO BE EXACT, ONE WAY, IN UNIVERSITY PARK, A FAR SOUTH, HARDLY EVEN, SUBURB. AT GOVERNORS STATE UNIVERSITY AS PART OF THEIR EXTENSIVE SCULPTURE PARK.

DONE BY MARTIN PURYEAR, IT IS REALLY BETTER APPRECIATED FROM THE AIR, AS THE WHOLE THING IS MEANT TO CONVEY A BOW AND ARROW.

BUT FIRST - WHEN I GOT THERE, IT TOOK SOME DOING TO FIND (AND IT WAS A REALLY COLD DAY). THE PARK IS RATHER EXTENSIVE, WITH NO SIGNS POINTING TO THIS PARTICULAR PIECE, FOR IT IS MORE THAT THAN AN ACTUAL SCULPTURE, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE CERTAINLY SCULPTURAL ASPECTS IN IT.
SO, NATCH, AT FIRST I TOOK THE WRONG PATH AND HAD TO DOUBLE BACK. THEN WHEN I THINK I SPOT PART OF IT (AN ARCH) ACROSS A POND SIMPLY SATURATED WITH GEESE, MORE THAN I HAVE EVER SEEN IN ONE PLACE BEFORE, AND THE SAME WITH ANOTHER LARGER POND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PATH, I COME ACROSS A SIGN THAT SAYS THE BODARK ARC IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC INDEFINITELY. GREAT. IN ONE PLACE IT SAYS FOR CONSERVATION; IN ANOTHER BECAUSE SOMETHING IS HAZARDOUS. YOU CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS.
AND I DIDN'T COME 40 MILES FOR NOTHING. AHEAD OF ME, THE PATH WAS MOWED AND I JUST WALKED BEYOND THE SIGN TO A SMALL SNOW FENCE ACROSS THE PATH. OTHERS BEFORE ME HAD OBVIOUSLY WALKED AROUND IT, SO I FOLLOWED THOSE OTHER TRAIL BLAZERS.

IT IS VERY HARD TO DESCRIBE THIS, IF YOU HAVEN'T ACTUALLY BEEN THERE, AND I HOPE MY PICTURES WILL GIVE YOU SOME IDEA. I ALREADY KNEW THAT THERE WAS A KIND'VE HEDGE ROW OF OSAGE ORANGE TREES AND THAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT ROW WAS A CHAIR FROM WHICH TO VIEW THE LANDSCAPE, INCLUDING THAT POND, IN FRONT OF YOU. PURYEAR HAS PUT A SMALL WOODEN ARCH AT THE END OF THAT PATH, FRAMING THE POND. THE PATH FROM THE SEAT, OF SOME HARD METAL, TO THE POND, COMPRISES THE ARROW PART OF THE PIECE, THE OSAGE ORANGE TREES PART OF THE BOW, AND THE SEMI-CIRCLE FROM ONE END OF THE TREE ROW TO THE OTHER, THE ARC OF THE BOW. IT REALLY IS QUITE THE CONCEPT, AND ITS STARK OUTLINES IN EARLY MARCH ARE VERY CLEAR.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED THERE IS A NICE EXPLANATION AT THE GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY WEB SITE.

AS I WALKED THE PATH TO THE CHAIR, THERE WERE LOTS OF SMASHED OSAGE ORANGES ON THE GROUND. I MOST DEFINITELY DID SIT IN IT AND TOOK IN THE VIEW OF THE GEESE. BUT WHEN I LEFT I WALKED DOWN THE ARROW PATH TO THE POND, AND HARDLY HAD I TAKEN THREE STEPS WHEN ALL THOSE THOUSAND GEESE AROSE AS ONE MASS AND TOOK WING. I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT, AND THE SOUND! I WISH I HAD CARRIED WITH ME SOME SORT OF SOUND RECORDER. WHEN I CAME BACK AROUND TO THE FRONT OF THE POND AGAIN, IT WAS TOTALLY EMPTY. AND BELIEVE ME, I AM NOT EXAGGERATING WHEN I SAY 1000 GEESE.

AND THAT IS THE REASON FOR THE CLOSURE, I THINK. GEESE CAN BE VERY NASTY ESPECIALLY IN MATING SEASON. I HAVE KNOWN A FARM THAT USED GEESE AS WATCHDOGS, VERY EFFECTIVELY. YOU DON'T WANT TO GET IN THE WAY OF MALE GEESE PROTECTING THEIR MATES. AND WHILE THE CHAIR IS NOT TOO CLOSE TO THE POND, BECAUSE THE PATH LEADS TO IT, NATURALLY YOU WANT TO WALK THERE. I CAN TOTALLY EMPATHIZE WITH GOVERNORS STATE BEING CAUTIOUS ABOUT THIS UNTIL THEY CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY TO ELIMINATE ALL THOSE BIRDS, IF THAT IS THEIR REASON FOR THE CLOSURE.

The "bodark" of the title is an English corruption of the American-French "bois d'arc," or wood of the bow, that is, Osage orange used for bows by the Native Americans of the Southeast and Midwest.

DEFINITELY WORTH THE DRIVE. BUT I DON'T THINK PURYEAR EVER ENVISIONED THE PROBLEM WITH THE GEESE.












AND THE CELL PHONE TOWER DOES NOTHING TO ENHANCE THE AMBIANCE OF THE PIECE EITHER.