Aug 15, 2007 4:57 pm US/Central
Chicago Celebrates Picasso's 40th
Once-Maligned Sculpture Became A Beloved Chicago Icon
by Joanie Lum
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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For its 40th anniversary celebration Wednesday, the Picasso was bedecked with a birthday top hat.
CBS
Chicago threw a 40th birthday party for one of the city's most recognizable symbols on Wednesday.
AS CBS 2's Joanie Lum reports, public opinion about the Picasso sculpture has changed since it was first unveiled.
In 1967, 25,000 people watched late Mayor Richard J. Daley pull down a billowing blue drape in what was then Civic Center Plaza and is now named for the late mayor. Picasso's cubism was obvious, but the audience response to the 50 foot tall, 162 ton steel piece was puzzling.
"Everyone stood there and gasped. Then more silence and then applause. Then it took a while to figure out what it was," said Martin Wise who was 10 years old when he watched the unveiling from across the street in a candy store. He returned Wednesday for the birthday celebration.
The party featured a hat for the sculpture, balloons, cheesecake and mostly positive reviews.
"Love it. It's been here so long, many years. Part of our Chicago tradition," Linda Wrice said.
"I enjoy it, it represents Chicago very well to me," Lillian Walker said.
"It's a Picasso. What could he do wrong?" Bill Ferbrache said.
Danita Hill offered a different perspective. "That giraffe looking face… not my favorite part."
Similar criticism was much more common when the sculpture first appeared. Late Chicago newspaper columnist Mike Royko wrote in the Chicago Daily News in 1967 that it had "a long stupid face and looks like some giant insect that is about to eat a smaller, weaker insect. It has eyes that are pitiless, cold, mean."
Over time, the Picasso became a beloved icon of the city of Chicago, becoming a stop for numerous art enthusiasts and kids who slid on its base, and appearing in countless cityscape photos and movies set in Chicago.
Pablo Picasso never visited Chicago, but about four years before the sculpture was unveiled, he was approached by Chicago architect William Hartmann with an invitation to create a model for a sculpture for the plaza. Hartman gave the master something to inspire him.
"A White Sox jacket, Bears jersey and a native American headress," said Hartman's partner Richard Tomlinson of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, the firm that designed Daley Center.
Picasso refused a fee for the work, instead giving the design as a gift to the city. It was pre-assembled in Gary, Ind., before being shipped to Chicago. The Picasso started out red-colored and rusted over time to create its current brown patina. Some say the sculpture is a bird, a horse or a woman. But Picasso never revealed what it is.
Along with the Art Institute lions, the Picasso has also been outfitted with helmets celebrating Chicago sports teams on their victory runs over the years.
The Picasso is considered Chicago's first major piece of public art, demonstrating the city's commitment to art and paving the way for more like the artwork that stands in Millennium Park.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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