A couple of weeks ago my Louisville friend Susan and I met in Chicago for a wonderful weekend. One of the many terrific things we did was take a walking tour of Chicago Art Deco skyscrapers offered by the Chicago Architecture Foundation. (Thank you Susan!). Chicago has wonderful architecture: Art Nouveau, Bauhaus, Frank Lloyd Wright, as well as modernist. The tour was really interesting and very informative. My pictures aren't great because I was shooting with a small point-and-shoot and running to keep up with the group. But here are some of the things I saw and some of the things I learned from the great tour guide and docent Bill Coffin.
Art Deco was officially born in the Paris Exposition of 1925 (though to my mind it also comes out of Art Nouveau and Vienna Secession).
Chicago Art Deco is perpindicular.
Its interiors (which are what we concentrated on in the tour) are dominated by straight lines.
And stylized ornaments such as wheat and sunflowers.
It also has amazing mailboxes.
Gorgeous in its details.
#ChicagoArtDeco
#Chicago ArchitecturalFoundation
Loved the architecture in Chicago but missed those interiors you have photographed. However we stayed in Hotel Edison off Times Square in New York which was very similar, so perhaps we didn't miss out altogether. For me there's something quite quirky about Art Nouveau in a sky scraper.
ReplyDeleteYes the great virtue of a tour is you get to go inside!
DeleteArt Deco--my favorite. Thank you for the photos. Many years ago I visited the research center of Corn Products Company in Argo, IL, a beautiful example of the later version of Art Deco, which was more horizontal. What a surprise to come up to this building with impressive sculptures in the middle of nowhere Illinois (or it was at that time). Perhaps the suburbs of Chicago have crept out to it by now.
ReplyDeleteIt's still there but now part of IIT, but still has the art and sculptures of Lee Lawrie, a noted midwestern artist of Art Deco.
I think Blogger messed up the attribution of these comments. I think this is from Nasty, Brutish and Short. If so, thanks again for your interest!
DeleteGreat to see these images again. And don't forget the mailboxes!
ReplyDeleteSusan
I think Blogger messed up the attribution of these comments. Unless you're Nasty, Brutish and Short Susan!
DeleteWhat gorgeous ornamentation--those elevators, lights, and doors!!!!! Niiiiice!!!!!
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