Consider Chicago’s renowned Picasso Sculpture, also known as The Chicago Picasso. Weighing in at 162 tons and stretching to 50 feet tall, the Picasso Sculpture’s meaning and significance is just as ambiguous as its title. Since its installation over 40+ years ago, the sculpture’s symbolism has been open to public and scholarly discussion. If you stood near this enormous steel sculpture at Daley Plaza and listened to the remarks of four passersby, you would likely hear different reactions. Is it a woman? A baboon? An Afghan dog? Or just possibly an abstract sculpture with no particular symbolism?
A PICASSO PREVIEW
Historically, we can look at Picasso’s earlier pantings, drawings, and metal cutouts which draw upon a similar aesthetic as The Chicago Picasso.
And looking further back into the 1940s and 50s, sculpture in the form of ceramic vessels also portrayed similar images.
Observe various views of the sculpture’s shapes and forms to discover a multitude of familiar images.
Next, let’s examine the sculpture from an abstract point of view. Let go of the representational aspect. Whether this sculpture is viewed as a whole or deconstructed into segments, its many views of interest offer powerful form and space which is further enhanced by its architectural and urban environment.
ABSTRACTION
ARCHITECTURE
SHADOWS
MINIMAL
Note that each image can stand alone as a balanced and interesting abstract work of art. In a formal sense, the principles and elements of design are defining space both two and three dimensionally.
DRAWINGS
PAINTINGS
METAL CUT-OUTS
