Saying Goodbye to Chicago, Part Fourteen: The Loop, Vol. One

The last few days I've walked all over the Loop district of Chicago, in search of excellent photo opportunities. Needless to say, I have found an abundance of them, which will result in my posting these photos in multiple installments. The Loop is Chicago's financial and business district, as well as the seat of its government and the location of the vast majority of its most prestigious cultural venues, from theaters to museums. In fact, the Loop, along with Michigan Avenue, is what most people think of when they think of Chicago. I took these photos on multiple days and on days when the weather shifted repeatedly between clouds and sun. Some buildings I took photos of on one day, but then returned a couple of days later to snap some more. Taking this into account, I am not going to adhere to a strict chronological order in posting them, but rather will group these photos in the most meaningful way possible.

Daley Plaza and City Hall

Picasso, Daley Plaza, Chicago, IL

The Picasso was created by the very artist after which it is informally named. This untitled work of art arrived in Chicago in the late 1960s and has served as a source of wonderment (or bewilderment) and a fun place to play ever since. I don't think it was ever disclosed what Picasso intended this statue to represent, but theories have floated around. When I was a kid, my perceptions of it would repeatedly change. At one time, I thought it was a bird, at another moment I thought it looked like a baboon, but oftentimes I thought it was a nun.

City Hall, Chicago, IL

City Hall had a place in my world very early on, since my childhood. My mother worked for the City of Chicago, and during most of her career her office was located in City Hall. I remember going to City Hall and taking her out to lunch too many times to count.

Hallway, City Hall, Chicago, IL

Lamp and ceiling detail, City Hall, Chicago, IL

Elevators, City Hall, Chicago, IL

Ceiling detail, City Hall, Chicago, IL

Hallway, City Hall, Chicago, IL

As I was taking these photographs, something seemed unsettling to me. I tried to sift through my thoughts and locate the source, identify it, but I kept on taking photographs. Then, the realization dawned on me: I never liked this building. Dark and murky, albeit displaying mosaic embellishment, the interior is suggestive of all the intrigues of the Byzantine Empire, but without the grandeur. Walking through its halls I feel like I am roaming through caverns. It is not a pleasant experience, and I was happy to step from its exit and emerge into daylight. I guess my sentiments make this post the anti-Yuccabloom post, since they run counter to my blog's main narrative.

Corner of City Hall, Chicago, IL

Daylight, and I realize that I am hungry and so I go to get lunch!

Flag display, City Hall, Chicago, IL

Here is a flag display at City Hall, the American flag and the Chicago flag, side by side. I will tell you more about Chicago's stars and stripes in one of my later posts.