Tag: public art

The Narrow Face

The Humble FabulistLeave a comment

Echo, 2011
Jaume Plensa

Jaume Plensa’s sculpture Echo is named for the mountain nymph of Greek mythology who offended the goddess Hera – she kept her engaged in conversation and prevented her from spying on one of Zeus’ amours. To punish Echo, Hera deprived the nymph of speech, except for the ability to repeat the last words spoken by another. The sculptor created this monumental head of Echo with her eyes closed, seemingly listening or in a state of meditation.

Another work by Jaume Plensa: Crown Fountain, in Chicago

2801 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA

June 15th, 2018

Guardians

The Humble FabulistLeave a comment

of the Gotham Galaxy

About the art:

Public art sculpture >> The Guardians: Superhero (2013) by Antonio Pio Saracino, in Three Bryant Park

From my collection >> Davros and Baby Groot reading the news about Salvator Mundi by Leonardo da Vinci, which had just been sold at Christie’s for a staggering $450 million, the most expensive painting in the world ever sold in an auction. The buyer was a Saudi prince and the painting was supposed to go on display at the Louvre Abu Dhabi but he exhibition was cancelled without any explanation. Salvator Mundi has gone missing from the public eye ever since. Its whereabouts but also its authenticity are subjects of much debate and speculation.

At the Morgan Library >> An early sixteenth century figure of St. Elizabeth of Schoenau (1129-1165), a German nun who published three volumes describing her divine visions, probably the reason she is shown here holding a book.

November 16-18, 2017

Bye-bye Chicago

The Humble FabulistLeave a comment

It’s been a great trip, started in Ithaca and Cayuga Lake, went on to Buffalo and Niagara Falls, round Lake Ontario to Gananoque and the Thousand Islands, a few hours spent in Ottawa and finally, in Chicago. Here we are in 120 North La Salle Street, under a Daedalus and Icarus mosaic, father and son together in flight, their wings spread wide, as if to tell us it is time to take off. And took off we did, so here we are, back to base with a little walk in Tribeca, taking in Manhattan’s crazy architecture. Hello New York!

November 5th, 2017 – Chicago: Daedalus & Icarus mosaic designed by Roger Brown and painstakingly installed by Costante Crovatto.

November 12th, 2017 – Manhattan: walking in Tribeca towards the One World Trade Center, here seen behind the wing of Oculus.

 

 

 

Chicago || At the end of the day [three]

The Humble Fabulist1 Comment

Nothing like a Chicagoan [almost] smiling face looking down from their 50 feet twin LED towers and Louis Comfort Tiffany’s 1.6 million pieces of iridescent glass exquisite mosaic on Macy’s vaulted ceiling, to cool you down and prepare you for a good night’s sleep.

Crown Fountain is a black granite reflecting pool between two glass brick towers projecting images of Chicago citizens. It was designed by Jaume Plensa and is part of the Millennium Park’s public artworks since 2004.

The sparkling Tiffany Dome was installed on the vaulted ceiling of Marshall Field’s – now Macy’s on State Street, in 1907. It is the largest Tiffany mosaic in existence and contains more than 1.6 million pieces of favrile iridescent glass, patented in 1894 by Louis Comfort Tiffany. [source]

November 4th, 2017

Ground control to Major Tom

The Humble FabulistLeave a comment

July 15, 2004. A giant object resembling a silver cloud made its first Earth landing, in Chicago’s Millennium Park. Reacting immediately, local authorities covered it up in a combined effort to reassure the public and control the curious crowds.

May 15, 2006. Authorities could no longer hold back the crowds. In a bold, unprecedented move, they unveiled the space oddity that has remained dormant ever since, defying all laws of physics, leaving scientists and general public puzzled and intrigued. People from the four corners of the earth flock to the park to monitor, examine and eventually try to explain what it is, where it came from and what it is doing here.

Cloud Gate, affectionately nicknamed ”The Bean”, is a public sculpture by British artist Anish Kapoor. It must be one of the most photographed public artworks in the city and I can totally see why.

November 4th, 2017

Chicago || At the end of the day [one]

The Humble Fabulist1 Comment

After a full day of intense lobbying – in the most literal sense of the word, it was time to sit back and (re)collect all the stunning places, experiences and photos we took: the tour at the Rookery, the marvelous art deco details of the Board of Trade and the Field Building, the gorgeous Tiffany mosaics at the Marquette, the very atmospheric Monadnock.

And to top it all off, some serious public art adorning the streets of Chicago.

Flamingo – by Alexander Calder in the Federal Plaza

Chagall’s Four Seasons mosaic in the Exelon Plaza

The Winged Victory of Samothrace, cast from a mold from the original sculpture in the Louvre Museum, Paris – (but why make it gold at all…? marble would have been equally stunning)

We Will, a welded stainless steel sculpture by Richard Hunt

November 2nd, 2017

Defiant

The Humble Fabulist4 Comments

”Fearless Girl” by Kristen Visbal.

After facing Wall Street’s ”Charging Bull” for about a year, it was decided that she be moved to her permanent spot, facing the New York Stock Exchange. Actually, the ”Charging Bull” was also supposed to have been moved with her, but I haven’t been in the area in a while to see what happened.

July 1st, 2017

Direct Line

The Humble FabulistLeave a comment

The Standard, High Line

+++

Lawrence Weiner (b.1942, New York City, NY) created NYC Manhole Covers, functional manhole covers that read: “in direct line with another and the next” in reference to the grid of New York City’s Streets, a Public Art Fund project on view in 19 different locations.

The project was ongoing between 2000-2011 but is still on view judging by the one I found on W 12th St. & Hudson St. In case you ever feel the urge for some serious manhole hunting, you can look for other locations here.

June 10th, 2017