In Celebration of the 200th
Anniversary of the Founding of the Republic, 1976
Isamu Noguchi
Grant Park, near the Art
Institute Annex
West of South Columbus
Drive and south of East Monroe Street
Commissioned by the B. F. Ferguson Monument Fund to
commemorate the bicentennial of American independence, this work includes two
40-foot granite components placed within a reflecting pool. One element stands
upright and is composed of two slabs that meet at an oblique angle, while the
other is a cylindrical fountain situated horizontally adjacent to an annex of
the Art Institute of Chicago designed by Walter Netsch. Artist Isamu Noguchi
(1904-1988) was the son of a Japanese poet and American writer. Born in Los
Angeles, he spent most of his childhood in Japan. He served as an assistant to
Gutzon Borglum as well as Constantin Brancusi.
Noguchi works primarily in stone and usually carves by
hand. For this monumental piece, however, he chose the Minnesota rainbow
granite but had it shaped by machine. The vertical component features
horizontal grooves in its surface that accentuate the visual impact of the
water cascading down. The horizontal element recalls the action of a waterfall
as water spills over the sides.
The water is an essential element of the composition and,
unfortunately, some aspects of the site have raised concerns among students,
bird lovers and ornithologists. Large numbers of birds slam into the
east-facing reflective window on the Columbus Drive and, those who do not die
instantly, fall into the moat-like pool and lay stunned, vulnerable to lurking
predators or to drowning. There were so many complaints that the fountain is
often turned off, even in warm weather, and the pool is drained.
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