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Posts from the ‘Art’ Category

Sep 5

stikman chicago
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Photo of the Week – Stikman in Chicago

stikman chicago

I posted not too long ago about Stikmen popping up near Boston, so I was on the look out for them in Chicago.  I didn’t find any of the road decals but I did find one of the original stick figures.  The Art Institute of Chicago sits on Michigan Avenue with the front steps looking down S Adams Ave.  As you cross Michigan, literally a few yards from the Chicago Art Institute, there is a Stikman glued to a street light utility box and painted for camouflage.  Thousands of people walk this way every day to enter the Museum.  I wonder how many noticed the Stikman?  I wonder how long he’s been there?

Sep 4

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Museum of Stained Glass Windows, Navy Pier Chicago

Have you ever unexpectedly stumbled on something amazing while traveling?  The Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows is just that!  It is a free collection of art tucked into the Navy Pier in Chicago and is really a treat.

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Aug 22

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The Painting Under the Painting – Picasso’s Old Guitarist

Partial grazing light image of Picasso’s “The Old Guitarist” as it hangs at The Art Institute of Chicago

It is not uncommon for artists to rework or even reuse canvases.  Careful examination with scientific techniques can offer glimpses of pasts images buried beneath the surface.  But sometimes you don’t need sophisticated instruments; sometimes the underlying image is very obvious looking at the final piece.  This was my experience with Pablo Picasso’s “The Old Guitarist” and the ghostly woman’s face in the top center of the painting.  Looking at it from the side and letting the light graze the image, you can see the depth of her face very clearly.

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Aug 21

A Surrealist House?

surrealist apartments

Exterior of the Orbis South Melbourne “Surrealist” condo building

I recently found this article (via this blog) from Melbourne’s The Weekly Review about a new 48-condo unit Surrealist-inspired building.  It is supposedly based on the work of “international sculptor Anish Kapoor and Belgian surrealist Rene Magritte”.  This may sound like bizarre inspiration for home design but before you judge, let me give you a tour of the apartment amenities!

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Aug 17

Rothko at Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago Art Institute Modern Art Wing

Art institute of chicago modern wing hallway

I spent most of the last week in Chicago including a full day at the Art Institute.  It was my first visit since the opening of the new Modern Art Wing in 2009.  Designed by Renzo Piano, the structure is glass with rib-like vertical and horizontal white elements resulting in an airy and light-filled space (even on a drizzly day) with incredible views of the city.  It is a lovely, blank container for a good collection with some hidden green building construction.

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