Downtown Chicago is rich in public art. You don't need me to tell you that. The instantly-beloved "Bean" — okay, "Cloud Gate" for you sticklers. Anish Kapoor's mirrored blob of stainless steel in Millennium Park. The artwork it supplanted in Chicago's heart, the rusty baboon/praying mantis — okay, it's really a woman — in Daley Plaza, the only large-scale sculpture by Pablo Picasso, called by locals, with a Chicago directness, "The Picasso."
Plus all sorts of lesser lights — the orange "Flamingo" in Federal Plaza, which Calder thought was put in the wrong place (he wanted it further from the building). "Miro's Chicago," which also goes by a popular name, versus its official mouthful "The Sun, the Moon and One Star," jammed into a gap between the Cook County Administration Building and the Chicago Temple (and directly across the street from the Picasso — I imagine many lock their eyes on the Picasso and never even notice the Miro). The Chagall mosaics, "Four Seasons" at Chase Tower Plaza.
So many, I feel fairly confident the above might be new to you.
It's called "Atmospheric Wave Wall, 2020." Honestly, I walked past it half a dozen times, registering its presence, not being particularly impressed, until I noticed the plaque and saw who created it: Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson.
EGD readers met him in 2020, when I reposted a 2009 column outlining what I called "The Curator Effect." Museum of Contemporary Art director Madeleine Grynsztejn had walked me through their Eliasson exhibit. I'd been impressed, but also wondered if I could recommend it to readers, who would not have the benefit of the MCA director walking them through the challenging artworks — moss stuck to a stone wall; various rooms of light and color. Would they also be impressed?
I haven't decided what I think of this piece, made of stainless steel tiles coated with enamel. The typical artist's statement on the piece's web page doesn't add much light.
"Motion is the central principle behind this public artwork, planned especially for Willis Tower," it begins. "The dynamic pattern on the wall is activated by the motion of people walking, driving, or biking past; by the motion of the earth in relation to the sun as light moves across it; and by changes in the season and weather."
The Sun-Times never mentioned the installation. The Tribune did so in 2022, with the slightest reference in a larger story about Willis Tower's $500 million renovation.
Have you seen it? What do you think? Valuable addition to Chicago's public art landscape? Or textured wallpaper gone berserk?
"A few days"? I've had both shoulders done. You're going to be in a sling for at least a month. Typing is possible after a couple of weeks, but it's difficult. And you won't be getting a lot of sleep. I expect grouchy posts (even grouchier than usual), if any. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteWhen I had my right shoulder done I had a job where I needed to use a computer. My boss wanted me back sooner than later, and when I told him I couldn't type yet, he said, "you couldn't type before." I went back and pecked with my left hand instead of my right.
DeleteI like it. It has a certain sense of otherness about it.
ReplyDeleteI’ve had both done as well. Be a good patient. Do your home exercises and PT diligently! Yes, the first month can be difficult but this too shall pass. Best of luck to you.
ReplyDeleteI worked at the Sears Tower for 25 years. I can't say that this "art" would have made my day better, but conversations about it in the coffee room would have been interesting!
ReplyDeleteThe Calder, that used to be in the west side lobby of the sears tower, was my favorite. I could spend hours watching it spin.
DeleteMoss on a rock would be better. A total eyesore.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a windshield that got hit by baseball-sized hail. OUCH!
DeleteI like the art piece. Voice activation works pretty well in Word….
ReplyDeleteI wasn't aware of this art installation and its been there 4 years! Since its all about motion, I'll have to go and see how it changes when people and buses go by.
ReplyDeleteAlso, It would be just fine -at least to me- to see unpolished efforts at voice to text on this blog once it resumes. I realize journalists are sticklers for perfection, but the foundational purpose of communication is to be understood. People sometimes react strongly to a misspelled word or incorrect usage of "their" vs "they're", but if the meaning comes through, there's nothing wrong with practicing tolerance.
I did a mini field trip for Willis Tower’s Engineering Day. This installation was part of it. What I found interesting was this art is supposed to appear different during different times of the day & depending on the time of year. Reminds me of our weather.
ReplyDeleteI think it's gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI like it, but then again, I like anything with lots of color. Makes me wonder what happened to the Calder that was just inside the Wacker Street entrance? Large, rotating piece. I liked that one too.
ReplyDeleteWasn't there different art in that same spot before?
ReplyDeleteIn the Shock of the New, the late great Robert Hughes said that a Rodin is art in a parking lot. If a work requires a museum to authenticate it as art, it might not be art. That is the measuring stick I use. By that standard half the stuff in the Tate Modern is not art. The Willis Tower installation is on the cusp. I would classify it as not particularly interesting, but art nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry to hear about your surgery. Best of luck and I do hope you have the option to dictate into your computer. Typing might not be happening for a while
ReplyDelete"Gone berserk" is always the correct answer in Chicago, regardless of the question.
ReplyDeletetate
I haven't seen it in person.
ReplyDeletebut i love art.
I want us to have more major art projects, like piccaso and miros and calders.
I say we have buildings that are more art then building.
yes. i know. i'm crazy
I'm all in favor of art, but if it has to be explained to me, that's not a point in its favor. Art works for me when I can enjoy looking at it, and really I think that's all that needs to be said.
ReplyDeleteNow then, about that "Motion is the central principle" thing... with a "dynamic pattern" getting "activated by the motion of people" and so on. I'm reminded of an interesting one-off portable bit of advertising that popped up in the walkway of the Ogilvie Transportation Center leading into the Daily News building, probably 25 years ago now. It was a fairly large image advertising an SUV racing along a road, and through what I recall was a series of louvers, you'd see the SUV whizzing along in motion, powered by your own changing perspective as you walked past. This was quite a novelty as static billboards go, and got big writeups from advertising columnists at the time.
The problem was, it only worked properly when you walked past in one direction, not the other. The whole billboard was on casters, so that it could be placed on one side of the hallway in the morning and the other side in the evening, depending on the direction of rush-hour flow, but whoever had been assigned to get it oriented properly twice a day apparently wandered off after Day 3, so for the remainder of its 2- or 3-week residency, we commuters would see daily displays of the SUV roaring backwards down the road and presumably landing in the ditch.
Nevertheless, I can respect the ad agency for wanting to try something new that would get people interested, or at least grab their attention for the few seconds that they were within range, and it did. There's no requirement for this technique to only advertise a product, of course; any piece of straight-up art could move the same way, and wouldn't require an explanation in order for us to see what it wants us to see.
kind of hurts my eyes, maybe i'll have a different reaction if seeing it in person
ReplyDeleteI agree that it "hurts my eyes" in that the display, in any of its permutations, doesn't seem to fit in with the buildings behind it. Cognitive difference of a sort.
DeleteArt is evocative. Whether we like it or hate it , it is art. Some art is masterful some is trite. Artist work the spectrum from beautiful to disturbing . From satisfying to terrifying.
ReplyDeleteSaying something is not art only means you don't care for it.
The more art the better!
I haven’t seen it in person, but from the photo I rather like it. At first glance before reading your post, i assumed it was was much smaller, say 4 x 8 feet or so — then I took a closer look and noticed the people walking in front of it…
ReplyDeleteFor me it evokes maybe a pond on a windy day stirring up a little bit of chop, with some red autumn leaves floating on top. But that’s just from the photo, my impression might be different viewing it in person at actual scale.
The first time I saw it, I thought "Oh, look at that. I don't like it." Which, sadly, is often my reaction to modern art. Since then, I've seen it a number of times. I guess I've settled in at "Well, it's colorful and better than nothing."
ReplyDeleteThe piece's webpage suggests that it's "hovering just beyond our ability to quickly comprehend it." In my case, I figure that it's *well* beyond my ability. If Jill A can "see how it changes when people and buses go by," she's a more astute observer than I am -- which is almost certainly the case!
I love the Bean, as is required by law, but I think my long-time favorite of the ones you mentioned is the Chagall by the Chase bldg.
Best wishes for a successful surgery and speedy recovery, NS.
May we send flowers, balloons, or sugar-free chocolates? Get better soon. Is this an old wrestling injury?
ReplyDelete