Lingering On
window icons, Grand Avenue. Thai restaurant whose name escapes me at the moment. They need to get rid of the mold smell in there before we'll return.
Golden Confidence
I'm curious as to the story behind this mural as well as its artist.
One of my favorite “lost” 35 mm prints was of this mural, and a police office raising his hand to stop traffic below (negative probably gathering dust in a box in Austex). The digital revolution didn't come quickly enough for my archives. I used to work about 2 blocks from here, at the Harris Bank building, a late 70s square monstrosity.
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update from Centerstage:
Roger Brown's mosaic-mural makes LaSalle Street memorableNew York has Andy Warhol; Chicago has Roger Brown. Most famous for his involvement in the Chicago Imagist movement, from the '70s through the early '90s, Brown peppered the city with paintings that fuse pop culture themes with a folk-meets-cartooning aesthetic. One of his best ventures graces the entry way to the 120 N. LaSalle building just west of city hall. The mosaic, electrified by bright blue and white pieces, illustrates the Greek myth of Daedalus and Icarus, in which Icarus' father, Daedalus, warns him to not fly too close to the sun. Icarus does, of course, his wings melting as he falls. The sight of two toga-wearing and winged men is delightfully silly and serene among such Loop seriousness. Brown's choice of topic, an illustration of a tale about greed in Chicago's corporate epicenter, is not lost
Embrace the Gloom
one day when I'm really bored, I'll make a composite image out of the 47 different photos of this intersection I've taken out of my office window.
Not as bored as I am now, mind you, but even more bored, in case you were wondering what I am doing raiding my archives for snow photos to post in April.
click to embiggen photo
Golden Confidence - I know you're going to say "I know that, Beth but what I meant was..." so I'm bracing myself (see, it's hard being an airhead like me)
I believe the painting depicts Daedalus and Icarus.
Remember, be kind to simple people like me.
Beth
Well, in fairness to you, my question was fuzzily worded. I really was curious as to the building's decision to place a mural of Daedalus and Icarus directly across City Hall. Seemed odd to me, but maybe it was the late hour.
So you answered my question correctly, but I was asking the wrong question.
And I still want to find out more about the artist and what-not.
Seth,
See, I knew deep down I was answering the wrong question.
Are there other murals along the building as well or is it just this one? I'm curious, do you have a shot?