An untitled sculpture by Picasso at the Daley Center - known simply as the Chicago Picasso
When the Richard J. Daley Center (originally the Chicago Civic Center) was built, there was to be a monumental sculpture in the plaza. Wanting the best, the architects chose Picasso, and one of them, William Hartmann, convinced the conservative Mayor Daley of their choice. He also convinced Picasso - albeit after two years and several trips to France - and got a prototype model of the sculpture. He tried giving him a $100,000 check but Picasso refused and said: "This is my gift to the people of Chicago.”
Standing 50 feet tall and weighing 162 tons, it was fabricated by U.S. Steel in Gary, Indiana using COR-TEN steel (same used for the Daley Center). It had to be upscaled from the model and new techniques were used to make the large metal panels. It was covered during assembly and hidden from public view until the unveiling on August 15, 1967. Gwendolyn Brooks read a poem she wrote and Seiji Ozawa conducted the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. However, it received a lot of criticism and caused controversy because people didn't "get it". Was it a bird? A woman? A pet dog? Picasso never revealed what it was. He died 6 years later, never stepping a foot in the US or seeing his sculpture. Ironically, it started a new era of public art in Chicago and other cities across America.
