The Chicago Picasso: A Point of Departure

Category: Books,Arts & Photography,Sculpture

The Chicago Picasso: A Point of Departure Details

Review Patricia Stratton has told the story of the Picasso brilliantly--the artist, the architects, the civic ambition, the negotiations, the design and fabrication, the ownership, the controversy--all the elements that lie behind this most famous of all Chicago sculptures and its transformation from drawing and maquette to a monumental 162 tons of Cor-Ten steel standing 50 feet high. --John W. McCarter, Jr.Patricia Stratton has just written an absorbing book on the story of Picasso's gift to Chicago....Through her research she takes us into the curious world of Parisian art and Chicago politics that found a place for one of the most remarkable of Picasso's sculptures...modern, exciting and complex. --Thomas J. O'Gorman, Inside Publications Read more About the Author Patricia Balton Stratton was born in Cincinnati and received both her undergraduate and graduate education at Northwestern University, where her masters thesis in art history concentrated on the acquisition, construction, and iconography of the Chicago Picasso. She served as a docent and guide for a number of regional art museums, as well as a volunteer and board member of the Chicago Public School Art Society (later known as Art Resources in Teaching) that was an affiliate of the School of the Art Institute. She divides her time between Chicago and Naples, Florida. Her daughter and four grandchildren live in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Read more

Reviews

This is a great read for anyone interested in sculpture, Picasso, Chicago, history or public art. The author has expertly laced together a thoroughly researched account of the pursuit and creation of the Picasso sculpture in Chicago’s Civic Center Plaza 50 years ago. She examines the deep impact it has had on the city’s identity and the arena of public art in America. The account is well-told and spiced with anecdotes involving Picasso, legendary mayor Richard Daley and a host of others. Controversy, lawsuits, secrecy and egos are all part of this true story. Professional and pedestrian reactions to the sculpture — pro and con, past and present — are included along with an abundance of color photos. I definitely will be sharing this book with friends.

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