Pavane to Chicago, 1981
Abbott L. Pattison
Campus of DePaul
University, near the Concert Hall
800 W. Belden Avenue
A “pavane” is a stately dance in slow duple time, popular
during the 16th century, or a piece of music in this rhythm. The
reference to music reveals sculptor Abbott Pattison’s interest in capturing a
sense of the rhythmic “surge of life” associated with his native city. On the
brass plaque that accompanies the piece, the artist explains that a sculpture
of Chicago “couldn’t be just a person, nor an animal, nor the lake, nor the
sun—but some creation containing all of these things.” This bronze work,
featuring rounded, undulating forms and bold protuberances, is his visual
interpretation of the “sound of the city in the middle of the night” and the
“throbbing pulse of the place.”
A companion piece to Pattison’s Chicago Totem, this work was located originally in the lobby of the
Outer East Drive Apartments at 400 East Randolph Street. Later, it was donated
to DePaul University and now stands outdoors near the Concert Hall on campus.
Pavane to Chicago is
not the only work by Pattison that has been moved from its original location.
In 1954, while teaching at the University of Georgia, Pattison created a
stylized 10-foot high horse out of heavy-gauge steel to be displayed on campus.
According to some accounts, students rioted over the piece when it was
unveiled, possibly due to disparaging remarks made by the artist about the
school’s athletic program, and they covered it with spray paint, manure and
attempted to set it on fire. It was removed from campus, stored and, in 1959,
moved to a grain field owned by a professor in the agricultural department
alongside Highway 15, where it still stands today.
Other works:
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