Photo courtesy of K. Hansen.Photoshop manipulation by B. Goble.
By Blake Goble
To walk anymore in Chicago is like a game of artful bombardment. Light after light… stopping, going… just trying to ignore all distractions to get to a destination. But look at what presents itself to you every five feet. Stop, and look around.
See that? The newly designed, spiffy looking new sign resting atop a CTA bus stop on Michigan Avenue? Neat, right? Those multi-colored or minimalist flyers at North and Damen and Milwaukee showcasing the latest musical act looking for a local audience? The sign that actually makes sense and looks good as you're crossing the street? No one leaves donations, or feels the need to praise their creators or put these informational pieces up at the Art Institute. Hell, most people don't even notice these things at all. Yet, all these visuals, every one of them…are art envisioned and created by designers, engineers and artists.
This constant barrage of imagery is not the attention-grabbing, well known sculptures or paintings that we notice like the Daley Picasso or that big, loud Marilyn on display. I am talking about the under-recognized gems of art around Chicago, cleverly disguised as signs. The problem though, is that's there so much on display, it's hard to appreciate anything.
"It's a cacophony versus a chorus", says George Aye, an Assistant Professor at the School for the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). Aye, a trained eye whose "Smart Cities" course was an examination of information systems, and how to make them better sees this work every day, and like most other people, tends to ignore it. "It's hard to tell when the good work is there, because the crappy stuff is always there, everywhere!"
Perhaps this work could be better, more streamlined and pointed. Or, more importantly, signs and public art could be more attractive. A former CTA designer, Aye feels the abundance of images in Chicago is overwhelming and ultimately easy to ignore. People move and take no time to stop and look at signs, even when design should be easy and understandable. "When everything is telling you not do something, the varying energy of humans, is to not do it!" said Aye. Function is often ignored in the hustle and bustle, and subsequently, the art too.
Kristen C. Hansen, a SAIC graduate design student, who also shares Aye’s sentiment, recently displayed a photo of a digitized CTA sign (seen above) on Facebook, admiring its artistry, functionality and roots in the ideas of the Smart Cities class she took with Aye. "It stuck because … it's such a simple solution, and to see it in place is really exciting! It caters to everyone, or at least people who don't know what to look at.”
The sign is functional, and arresting. "The art comes in making and moving around Chicago as a less stressful experience." said Hansen.
So there is hope for appreciation, or at the very least, notice. There are pretty images with purpose, that can still stop a person dead in their tracks. Rob Jurewicz, a designer for Akoo in Rosemont, thinks there are things worth stopping for, that normally go unnoticed. Even a nice-looking wall can do something for people. Look at "The Shedd Seawall." It is a beautiful concrete structure that captures the essence of a wave right along the water. When standing in front of it, it makes you feel closer to the water acting (as) a shield between you and the busy city."
Who’d dare say it’s just a wall?
The city might just be a victim of Metropolitan messiness, disabling anyone from being able to stop and look. Chicago "has a lot of great art. I think though, that because there are the excellent examples - or if not good, at least well known examples (I’m looking at you, Marylin Monroe) - a lot of ‘fluff’ just falls to the wayside… you just don't notice it." said Jurewicz.
To quote infamous Chicagoan, Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it." Good point. Maybe the Shedd Seawall is a good place to start.
Contacts
Geoerge Aye - georgeaye@gmail.com
Kristen Campbell Hansen – 248-701-8402
Rob Jurewicz - rjurewic@gmail.com
To walk anymore in Chicago is like a game of artful bombardment. Light after light… stopping, going… just trying to ignore all distractions to get to a destination. But look at what presents itself to you every five feet. Stop, and look around.
See that? The newly designed, spiffy looking new sign resting atop a CTA bus stop on Michigan Avenue? Neat, right? Those multi-colored or minimalist flyers at North and Damen and Milwaukee showcasing the latest musical act looking for a local audience? The sign that actually makes sense and looks good as you're crossing the street? No one leaves donations, or feels the need to praise their creators or put these informational pieces up at the Art Institute. Hell, most people don't even notice these things at all. Yet, all these visuals, every one of them…are art envisioned and created by designers, engineers and artists.
This constant barrage of imagery is not the attention-grabbing, well known sculptures or paintings that we notice like the Daley Picasso or that big, loud Marilyn on display. I am talking about the under-recognized gems of art around Chicago, cleverly disguised as signs. The problem though, is that's there so much on display, it's hard to appreciate anything.
"It's a cacophony versus a chorus", says George Aye, an Assistant Professor at the School for the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). Aye, a trained eye whose "Smart Cities" course was an examination of information systems, and how to make them better sees this work every day, and like most other people, tends to ignore it. "It's hard to tell when the good work is there, because the crappy stuff is always there, everywhere!"
Perhaps this work could be better, more streamlined and pointed. Or, more importantly, signs and public art could be more attractive. A former CTA designer, Aye feels the abundance of images in Chicago is overwhelming and ultimately easy to ignore. People move and take no time to stop and look at signs, even when design should be easy and understandable. "When everything is telling you not do something, the varying energy of humans, is to not do it!" said Aye. Function is often ignored in the hustle and bustle, and subsequently, the art too.
Kristen C. Hansen, a SAIC graduate design student, who also shares Aye’s sentiment, recently displayed a photo of a digitized CTA sign (seen above) on Facebook, admiring its artistry, functionality and roots in the ideas of the Smart Cities class she took with Aye. "It stuck because … it's such a simple solution, and to see it in place is really exciting! It caters to everyone, or at least people who don't know what to look at.”
The sign is functional, and arresting. "The art comes in making and moving around Chicago as a less stressful experience." said Hansen.
So there is hope for appreciation, or at the very least, notice. There are pretty images with purpose, that can still stop a person dead in their tracks. Rob Jurewicz, a designer for Akoo in Rosemont, thinks there are things worth stopping for, that normally go unnoticed. Even a nice-looking wall can do something for people. Look at "The Shedd Seawall." It is a beautiful concrete structure that captures the essence of a wave right along the water. When standing in front of it, it makes you feel closer to the water acting (as) a shield between you and the busy city."
Who’d dare say it’s just a wall?
The city might just be a victim of Metropolitan messiness, disabling anyone from being able to stop and look. Chicago "has a lot of great art. I think though, that because there are the excellent examples - or if not good, at least well known examples (I’m looking at you, Marylin Monroe) - a lot of ‘fluff’ just falls to the wayside… you just don't notice it." said Jurewicz.
To quote infamous Chicagoan, Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it." Good point. Maybe the Shedd Seawall is a good place to start.
Contacts
Geoerge Aye - georgeaye@gmail.com
Kristen Campbell Hansen – 248-701-8402
Rob Jurewicz - rjurewic@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment