Uncle Freddy's, Bill Boyce, Kapoor, Artropolis, Wicker Park and Chi-Town
"I remember way back in the days on my block... "
Bill Boyce - downtown Hammond, Indiana (courtesy Uncle Freddy's Gallery)
Couldn't have been any better, good friends, great art, 4 days of vacation in the artropolis of the Midwest - Chicago. And thanks to Tom Torluemke and Linda Dorman of Uncle Freddy's Gallery, you can add Hammond to the list thank you very much.
Tom Torluemke & Linda Dorman outside Uncle Freddy's former gallery space
One of Chicago's hardest working sculptors, Bill Boyce was commissioned to install several large scale pieces in one of Hammond's public parks.
Bill Boyce - downtown Hammond, Indiana (courtesy Uncle Freddy's Gallery)
Bill Boyce - downtown Hammond, Indiana (courtesy Uncle Freddy's Gallery)
Bill Boyce - downtown Hammond, Indiana (courtesy Uncle Freddy's Gallery)
En route for Chi-Town and Millennium Park (the Park formally known as Grant Park) where Anish Kapoor's "Cloud Gate" swept even the most jaded art in the park connoisseur away. "Cloud Gate" is spectacular weighing in at 110 tons and measuring 66' long by 33' high. However, not to be topped was Jaume Plensa's "The Crown Fountain" featuring two 50' high towers and simultaneous video projections - simply stunning. For more information on these sculptures and others, please go to the Millennium Park's website here. I know I know, but I have to ask, "What the hell are you doing San Diego?" It's embarassing to say the least. Oh did I mention the new Frank Gehry Pritzker Bandshell or the new MCA designed by Josef Paul Kleihues?
Anish Kapoor - "Cloud Gate"
Anish Kapoor - "Cloud Gate"
Me & Linda - who looks more like the sculpture?
Looking into the eye of the storm - underneath "Cloud Gate"
Jaume Plensa - "The Crown Fountain"
Jaume Plensa - "The Crown Fountain"
Frank Gehry - Pritzker Bandshell
Frank Gehry - Pritzker Bandshell
Frank Gehry - Pritzker Bandshell
View of downtown Chicago
Tom having fun with Mark DiSuvero
Art Chicago, The Merchandise Mart International Antiques Fair, The Artist Project, Intuit Show of Folk and Outsider Art, and Bridge Art Fair all rolled into one huge Artropolis at the Merchandise Mart. A little something for everyone. I was able to visit with some old friends from back in the days, Willie Kohler, Barbara Koenen, David Russick, Paul Klein but to name a few and met some new friends like Jason Lahr, Marty Garcia and Scott Grow from Recent Projects. I finally had the chance to meet Mark Staff Brandl too, all the way in from Switzerland and in the flesh from his Internet presence on Sharkforum.org. Art was everywhere. And how about a fair in San Diego - is it possible?
View from the 7th floor window of the Merchandise Mart overlooking the Chicago River.
Just like old times but not really, Wicker Park renovated but not lost, a visit to the gallery (space). The Flat Iron building across the street still standing - but not for long so we heard.
The 12 story Tower Building towering proud over the corner of Damen, North and Milwaukee Avenues.
Looking straight up.
Wes Andrews former owner of the Tower Building and the Flat Iron Building as well as being a patron of the arts, provided affordable studio space for Chicago artists for many years. Had I never met Wes, the Abel Joseph Gallery would not have existed. In 1989, Around the Coyote was born to showcase and promote Wicker Park and Bucktown artists living and working there through an annual arts festival. I was fortunate enough along with many others including its brainchild Jim Happy-Delpech, to be part of its beginnings. There were two things Wes said to describe the energy and passion in Wicker Park's creative community that I'll never forget: one, Milwaukee Avenue was the river of life that flowed from downtown and ended on the footsteps of the Tower Building and two, the Tower Building was like a lone coyote - always searching, always hungry. The name stuck.
1600 N. Milwaukee Avenue - home sweet home
Inside the gallery now Sprint store. You can't stop progress.
Comments
Bill Boyce seems more like a landscape artist as these sculptures sit in there surroundings so naturally. Engines on front lawns, truck tires on the highway, bikes locked to parking meters, Bill Boyce sculpture, and its all part of the experience. That’s what it takes to “get” Bill Boyce, experience; once you start you can’t stop. Thank you Bill for all you do and all you’ve done.
Posted by: Martin Garcia | mai 1, 2007 10:17 PM
Kevin,
What great photos of a great city with real ART! and Hammond too--kinda makes San Diego an embarassing destination for art--especially Outdoor Art/Sculpture!
and the Gehry Bandshell--WOW and WOW! Makes me want to hop on the next plane to Chicago!
You must have had a wonderful time.
ps. WHY did you leave Chicago for here?
Posted by: Maura Vazakas | mai 2, 2007 11:23 PM
Thanks Maura, yes I had a blast. On the flight home I realized what was missing here in San Diego, in part, was the overall sense of (artistic) community and inline thinking - meaning a sense of purpose and drive (actions) to make in this case, Chicago a world renown Artropole. This desire is supported not only from its city officials, but also comes from its enterprises, collectors, galleries and artists and in large part, from the public itself. It's difficult to fathom the same energy and passion for all the arts put to the forefront here in San Diego - Art (in) San Diego is more of an oxymoron than a reality.
Again, the keyword is community and not the sort of "social" don't rock the boat opening night festivities found at Ray at Night - our only art district c'mon? - the Rubber Rose being the exception and phare for anything remotely pushing the envelope here in San Diego.
A lot could be learned from Chicago's urban planning and vision, let's hope its contagious!
Posted by: Kevin Freitas | mai 3, 2007 10:14 AM
An odd conjunction of civics and archtecture will always and forever prevent San Diego from achieving its own Millennium Park. To wit: Balboa Park is the only civic site capable of hosting such a thing, but the park itself is built so consistently in an ultra-ornate period Spanish style that any attempts to introduce large-scale contemporary art or architecture are guaranteed to generate a certain degree of aesthetic friction, and a metric buttload of political friction. The few exceptions prove the rule. If such a thing ever happens in San Diego, it will be small-scale and downtown. (Actually such a thing has already happened, and with quality equal to Millennium Park, but it's relatively hidden away on the UCSD campus.)
Posted by: RG | mai 3, 2007 10:32 AM
It was GREAT to meet you face-to-face! I just wish it hadn't been so frantic --- I think we got to talk all of about 10 minutes (most people I talked to for about 5)!
Good luck and let's meet and really talk sometime soon.
Posted by: Mark Staff Brandl | mai 30, 2007 04:20 AM
Hi, You mentioned Wes Andrews. We just purchased a painting by Wes Andrews at an auction in Orillia, Ontario (Canada)- a stunning piece- and I was wondering if it might be the same person. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks, Ray
Posted by: Ray B | octobre 31, 2007 09:44 AM
Hello,
I stumbled across your site, and was interested in the possibility of contacting Bill Boyce, as I believe he may be an old friend whom I haven't seen for some time. I recognize the use of combinations of metal and wood in the sculptures, which he was creating over 30 years ago. I remember he and I harvesting driftwood from the california coast which were utilized in his earlier sculptures. It would be interesting to see if this is the same Bill Boyce.
Posted by: Bill Witherspoon | février 22, 2008 10:59 AM
Tom, Bill, Kevin, Hello from Urban Intersection, currently under development in Oceanside CA, 507 N Coast Hwy 101, Suite B, 92054. John Lubinski and I have resumed the work. Our current establishment is Garagerex Gallery and Vet Reps Thrift Store. Please stop by and if you like stay in the 2nd best weather in the United States. Thanks for the remembrance, I'm blown away. Love Wes
Posted by: wes andrews | juin 2, 2008 02:13 PM