Agora

So I realize my last photo was pretty lame, so I'll try to step it up a notch or two here.

This series of photos is of one of my favorite pieces of art in Chicago. Agora is the name of a group of 106 headless and armless iron sculptures in Chicago's south loop. (It's sounds a little creepy, but it's really not). These guys are located in the south end of Grant Park and not even three blocks from our place. I have always been fascinated with them, especially after I found out that each pair of legs is supposedly facing a different direction. All 106 of them! The statues are on a permanent loan from the Polish Ministry of Culture. A fun fact about Chicago is that there is a HUGE Polish population. Something crazy like the largest Polish population other than Poland.

It has also been reported that actor Robin Williams contributed over $700,000 to bring these statues to Chicago. The figures are approximately 9 feet tall and made from hollow pieces of iron that has been allowed to rust.

This work has inspired just as many negative interpretations as positive ones. The general idea is that all these pairs of legs are apart of a group, yet they are all still individuals doing their own thing. So are they brainless followers acting on command or are they all independent individuals with the ability to be a leader? I'll let you decide. (And why don't they have arms or heads?)

This piece of art has had very mixed reviews in Chicago, but it gets a big two thumbs up from this girl. They are a tricky group to take photos of, because you have to account for the different lighting. However, I had a lot of fun trying out some different angles. I may or may not have been laying down on the ground for the last two shots - but check out the framing! My high school photography teacher would be proud. :)