Two new art pieces have gone up at Diversey Brown and Montrose Blue Lines.
“L” passengers will have two more reasons to look out their windows in Chicago as the CTA has added two new art installations along the Diversey Brown and Montrose Blue Lines.
While it has its faults, the CTA continues to make an effort to beautify its experience through its aesthetic collection of mosaics, paintings, interactive installations, and sculptures on display in its stations and along its routes. As of now, the CTA has created over 80 pieces of public art, having doubled its installations in the last few years.
Most recently, the CTA added two more: Ordinary Relic by Mathew Wilson along the Diversey Brown Line, and Windy City Odyssey by Chris Cosnowski on the Montrose Blue Line.
“These new installations add to the vibrancy and intrigue of CTA’s distinguished and growing public art program,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. in a press release. “Not only do these two pieces add beauty to their respective stations and the communities they serve, they also highlight both historic moments and elements of our local culture that would otherwise be forgotten or remain unknown.“
Ordinary Relic is a mixed-media art piece that is composed of four elements: a vintage ticket booth replica located adjacent to the historic station, the base of which inscribed with 10 significant dates in Chicago’s history, painted tracks above Diversey Parkway, and six panels bearing one-word messages such as “MEMORY” and “HISTORY”.
“Multiple elements displayed or integrated in the Diversey station engage a dialogue between the past and present, challenging the viewer to consider or reconsider public art, monuments, and cultural preservation,” according to the CTA’s website.
“It is his hope that the various art pieces throughout the Diversey station will inspire travelers to celebrate the forgotten history of the city and recognize the importance of the past in creating Chicago’s contemporary cultural landscape.”
Windy City Odyssey by Chris Cosnowski is presently on display along the Montrose Blue Line. The glass art structure features a variety of tinted window panes exhibiting an assortment of motifs intertwined with Chicago’s multi-faceted history, character, and cultural significance.
For instance, the T-Rex skull represents the Field Museum, while the bodybuilder trophy is featured as Chicago is known as “The City of Big Shoulders.”
“Chicago artist Chris Cosnowski renders the toys and trophies of yesteryears childhood with symbolic photorealism. These playful motifs attempt to transport riders into a momentary reverie from their daily routine.”
For a full explanation of the individual images and motifs, visit transitchicago.com.
Over the next few years, the CTA plans to add more installations, with three plans along the Blue Line, one along the Pink Line, and one at the Chicago/Austin bus terminal. [Featured image via transitchicago.com]
See also: Embark On A Quest For Giant Trolls At The Morton Arboretum