jessica stockholder: color jam

'color jam' by jessica stockholder at the intersection at state and adams, chicago, USA

Happy to see the second city engaging in some first tier public art -- nothing new for the new and improved Chicago, where public art reigns.

When I was little, Picasso's gigantic Untitled sculpture was installed at Daley Plaza. It was the event of the decade for this kid who hadn't even lived a decade. Slowly, since then Chicago has been gaining momentum as one of the great places to see and experience public art. Bravo all around.

From designboom:

american artist jessica stockholder's 'color jam' installation sees a downtown chicago intersection awash with color. the artist envisioned a 'three-dimensional painting', with color spilling out of windows, through doors, and onto the buildings and sidewalks of the crossroads of state and adams.'color jam' is chicago's largest public art project to date and was commissioned by the chicago loop alliance - it will remain in place until september 30, 2012.

'color jam' by jessica stockholder

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following text from the official press release

walk on, in, and through the canvas of renowned artist jessica stockholder this
summer with color jam.

the fictive potential of surface, so thoroughly cultivated through the history of
painting, is always ready to burst, spilling forth imagined richness, full of emotional,
subjective resonance, and wandering focus is here woven together with the
more mundane everyday surface of the street corner. the piece celebrates
and demands that the evocative surface of this chicago street corner be expanded.
the corner is canvas, stage, pedestal, and frame against which the public can
view a parade of shifting color relationships.”

'color jam' is part of art loop, an award-winning series that activates the
loop with contemporary art. previous art loop installations include
tony tasset’s eye and cardinal (2010) and kay rosen’s go do good (2011).

on display through september, color jam' invites the public to participate
in a series of programs—or jams—taking the form of concerts, talks, and
happenings throughout the loop. in addition, several loop businesses
are offering color jam-themed specials, ranging from color-tinis
to jammin’ hotel discounts.