Sculpture by internationally-renowned artist Tony Tasset centerpiece of Art Loop 2010; new public art initiative also encompasses Tasset’s CARDINAL street banner series and free related programming; presented by Chicago Loop Alliance July 7 through October 31.

DePaul’s Community and Government Relations office was very instrumental in organizing the Chicago Loop Alliance (CLA) in 2004. CLA is a merger of the old State Street Council and the Central Michigan Avenue Association.

(CHICAGO – July 7, 2010) — Move over Millennium Park “bean” … there’s a new icon in town, and passersby on State Street won’t believe their eyes!

Just in time for the influx of summer and fall visitors, the Chicago Loop Alliance (CLA) will present EYE, an incredibly lifelike three-story (30-foot tall) eyeball sculpture by internationally-renowned, Chicago-based contemporary artist Tony Tasset, mounted at Pritzker Park at the corner of State Street and Van Buren. EYE was officially unveiled Wednesday, July 7, and remain on public display through the month of October.

Also being revealed that day was a companion piece by Tasset titled CARDINAL, a dramatic installation of 156 street banners revealing a bold red cardinal – the state bird – in flight against a bright blue sky, unfolding like a “flip book” on State Street lamp posts north from Congress Parkway to Wacker Drive. This compelling pair of artworks is the centerpiece of CLA’s inaugural Art Loop 2010, expected to be an annual celebration of public art in the Loop in which a new work by an important artist is commissioned each summer, along with free related educational and cultural programs, and promotions and discounts from CLA member partners.

“We expect Tony Tasset’s EYE at Pritzker Park to become a destination for those living, working and visiting the Loop, and we hope this temporary art installation encourages the public to tour the area and discover all of the incredible public art on display year round,” said CLA Executive Director Ty Tabing. “Tony is an artist who excels in multiple art forms – from the visual art of CARDINAL to the sculptural EYE – and we’re proud to showcase this Chicago talent in our first Art Loop season.”

EYE is a 30-foot tall, three-dimensional recreation of an eyeball, with a blue iris (similar to the artist’s). The massive spherical sculpture, of steel reinforced fiberglass, was fabricated by F.A.S.T. Corp. of Sparta, Wisconsin. The installation process in Pritzker Park took place “under wraps” in late June.

  
According to Tasset, “I hope both EYE and CARDINAL change the everyday experience for pedestrians and drivers along State Street. The image of the flying bird is quieting and humble in contrast to the commercial bustle surrounding it, while the enormous scale of the EYE serves to miniaturize its surroundings. Although EYE and CARDINAL are unique works and do not depend on each other, the two works are linked formally; by the red, white and blue color pallet as well as the repetition of the eye in the bird close up. The juxtaposition of these two archetypal images with the city of Chicago as a backdrop should create a grand surreal picture, in the spirit of Magritte and Dali.”

About the Artist

Internationally renowned contemporary artist Tony Tasset is known for his tongue-in-cheek humor and stylistic variation. Trained as a painter, his work has expanded to include many mediums including video, photography, bronze, wax, fiberglass, film and even taxidermy. Tasset’s work is in the permanent collections of prestigious museums across the U.S., including The Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, the Museum Fur Moderne Kunst (Frankfurt, Germany) and the San Francisco Museum of Art, in addition to being featured in numerous solo and guest exhibitions around the world at major galleries and institutions in London, Italy, Germany, Ecuador and Canada. In the last several years, Tasset has included in his repertoire several ambitious public commissions including works in downtown Pittsburgh and St. Louis. Among awards received are the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation Award, an Artists Fellowship from the Illinois Arts Council, and the John Quincy Adams Traveling Fellowship from the School of The Art Institute of Chicago.

Tasset was born in Cincinnati in 1960 and pursued his education in the Midwest. He received his B.F.A. at the Art Academy of Cincinnati (1983) and his M.F.A. at The School of The Art Institute in Chicago (1985). He resides in Oak Park, Ill., and is currently a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is featured in the MCA exhibition, Rewind: 1970s to 1990s, Works from the MCA Collection. In addition, Tasset is the subject of a one-person show at the Kavi Gupta Gallery, Chicago.

Related Free Public Programming

As part of Art Loop 2010, CLA has collaborated with several community partners to offer a series of free public programming based on the EYE and CARDINAL installations. Highlights include:

● Family programming at The Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Avenue

After exploring EYE, families are invited to stop by The Art Institute for free art making. Children of all ages can create their own mixed media self-portrait inspired by the EYE and images of faces in the Art Institute’s collection. Thursdays through Sundays in July, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

● Chicago Park District presents programming on site, Pritzker Park

Hands-on activities will focus on family art and nature projects in July and August, while digital art making opportunities and a “sonic playground” performance event will take place in September and October. Third Saturday of the month (July 17 and August 21, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 to 5 p.m., and Sept. 18 and Oct. 16, from 2 to 8 p.m.)

● Chicago Public Library presents Reading is Art-rageous, Harold Washington Library Center, 400 S. State Street, Chicago Authors Room, 7th floor

The public is invited to meet artist Tony Tasset and learn more about EYE and CARDINAL before embarking on a walking tour of the Loop’s public art. Wednesday, August 4, 6 to 7 p.m.

● American Heart Association presents Start! Walking

The American Heart Association has designated CLA’s Public Art Loop Walking Tour as a Chicago walking path for its Start! Walking program, the American Heart Association’s national campaign that encourages people to live longer, healthier lives through walking. Organized walks start at EYE July 14, August 11 and September 8 at noon.

● ‘Artists at Work’ Forum, Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington Street

CLA Executive Director Ty Tabing will be joined by a panel of executives from Chicago’s private sector for a discussion about creating opportunities for artists to work in public spaces. This informative panel discussion will be moderated by Nathan Mason, curator of special projects at the Department of Cultural Affairs. Thursday, Sept. 23, 6 p.m.

Other components of CLA’s Art Loop 2010 include its new Pop-Up Art Loop™ initiative which has transformed empty storefronts in the Loop into a moveable feast of public art galleries, exhibits and studios. Pop-Up Art Loop has created some 12 temporary galleries to date, showcasing professional photography, sculpture, 2-D art, video and new media, installations and more. In addition, a free, downloadable Loop the Loop walking tour of public art, including the Tasset exhibition, the Pop-Up Art Loop Galleries, and permanent installations by Calder, Miro, Chagall, Picasso and Kapoor, is available on the Chicago Loop Alliance website. The tour is also available via pre-loaded MP3 players on loan at the ArchiCenter at 224 S. Michigan Avenue.

Sponsors

Chicago Loop Alliance’s Art Loop 2010, featuring Tony Tasset, is made possible through generous support from the State Street Commission, the governing body of the State Street Special Service Area. In addition, the new Illinois Center for Broadcasting Chicago Campus is the Presenting Sponsor of Art Loop 2010; Spex is the premier sponsor and CNA is a partner sponsor.

Chicago Loop Alliance

Chicago Loop Alliance (CLA) is a member-based business organization that represents Chicago’s most dynamic mixed-used district – the Loop – and serves the rapidly growing central business area. CLA advocates for Chicago’s most appealing historic and contemporary architecture, businesses, mainstay retail stores, restaurants, residences, hospitality and entertainment, as well as a number of high-profile and respected educational and cultural institutions. CLA is focused on bringing together these various Loop businesses and organizations to support one another in creating and promoting a vibrant, flourishing Loop where people live, work and play. The Loop’s boundaries are considered the Chicago River on the north and west, Congress Parkway on the south and Lake Michigan on the east. For more information about Art Loop 2010 and public programming related to the institution, visit http://www.chicagoloopalliance.com.

Source: Chicago Loop Alliance.