SUBTITLE: What ART is. What ART isn’t.
Chicago, IL USA: This was my 4TH Visit (and The Ball’s 5TH Presentation) to observe the Antics that happen to Kurt Perschke’s RedBall Project happened on The Sabbath, a glorious Sunday to worship on The Lakefront – as The Ball was inflated earlier than usual Monica reported– probably in order to greet the Morning Sun. Not a Rain Cloud was in the Sky. The Temperature warmed up to the mid-70s and every Body who (was wise enough) not to be tied and bound to their Sports Games or Channel 11TH’s Bush Fiasco Documentary was pounding the Pavement on their Bikes, Rollerblades, Segues and Skateboards while Joggers or Walkers breathed in ‘The Sites’ from this prime Southern Exposure of ‘Sweet Home, Chicago.’
What could or would make them stop once caught up in the Action of The Day? That Big Red Perschkian Ball, that’s what. For the hundreds that drifted, surfaced, meandered or skated by each Hour, Hundreds stopped to examine the Movable Sculpture that is slowly moving its ‘Weigh’ (all 250 pounds of inflated Air, that is) around the Loop-land Area of Mayor Daley’s Chicago.
RedBall-a-Palooza ®1 is definitely what the Phenomena could be RED-ily called by those who are into personalizing TOS: Things, Objects and Stuff in order to familiarize themselves with it all the better. Naming may also be a procedure in order for some People to remember Things, through that Sense of Association. Seeing a bigger-than-BIG Red Ball(oon) on your Beaten Path would definitely stop most People. It grabs your absolute Attention.
Keeping with The Format of my previous Ball-Blogs, Comments were again ‘afloat’ that captured my immediate and undivided Attention. Although most Chicagoans are prone to think about what The Weather is doing or not doing, the sheer Amusement of ‘People Watching’ is what always fascinates me, especially so when it focuses on Art, Photography, Human Nature and Chicago, the 3RD major Metropolitan City in the continental USA.
Oh, it may be the SOB: Same Old Ball, but The Expressions of The Onlookers (from all Walk of Life) are genuinely priceless. This is what probably excites The Crew of Kurt, Tony, Monika, Rebecca and their Flip-Book-Souvenir Dispensing Team more than seeing its Rise amongst the Buildings, Towers, Viaducts and Skyscrapers of Chicagoland, wedged into Places where most Things are not wedged, inserted or placed. Well, let’s say, it is EQUALLY as exciting as seeing this Project come to fruition. I didn’t exactly poll them. I assumed, judging from the Interaction being displayed at these flurry of Events. For some People, the Ball represents Performance Art and they feel they must perform or ‘do something’ in front of the Sphere for their family, friends or whomever they are with. This is an integral Part of the Manifestation of seeing RED.
A BASIC THOUGHT IN RED:
An Assortment of the Basic Thoughts that would not come to mind if the RedBall Project (RBP) was not part & parcel of our Urban Landscape include:
Since we’re nearing the 7TH Anniversary of 9-11, if The Ball were placed in a Landscape (say Iran, Pakistan or Afghanistan) where Osama Bin Laden was hanging out, would he come out to view it from Curiosity alone?
FACTS TO SPECULTE ON:
- At its big Red Radius, how many feet wide is it?
- How many Chicagoans does it take to encircle the Ball?
- How many wider (than usual) Chicagoans does it take to encircle The Ball?
- How many slimmer (than usual) Chicagoans does it take to encircle The Ball?
- How many Chicago Politicians does it take to encircle The Ball?
OTHER AREAS THAT THE REDBALL PROJECT WOULD HAVE LOOKED GOOD IN:
Unfortunately the RBP is not booked for an entire Chicago Year here, probably because We now only have Two Seasons: Summer and Construction. With Winter setting in, although The Ball would look smashing with plummeting Leaves fall about it, The Ball will be leaving for (probably) Warmer Climes much like The Monarch Butterflies take off for Mexico as soon as Fall begins later this Month. However, since Chicago is such a Friendly City, no doubt, it will return and perhaps next time will consider a Stop in:
1) ChinaTown, as it is a well-traveled Area that is based on Color and Shape (two Components that the RedBall Project is) encircled by.
2) A Forest Preserve (preferably the Pulaski & Peterson Area) which is loaded up with Red Foxes. People and some Pet Dogs (who don’t really think The Ball is a giant fire hydrant) have already interacted with it. Now, it’s time to see how Nature with its Little Critters ‘take’ to The Ball.
MARKETING THAT RED BALL:
Now, while the RBP is in town, there’s Profit(ability) to be made from its Appearance. After all, the City of Chicago is over 170 years old and this is its First Appearance! Let’s start with something tasty. Not too heavy; sugary or frosted. That only leaves us with Fortune Cookies. Fortune Cookie Bakers could insert a Fortune that reads:
“RedBall’s coming to a Viaduct near you.”
And, of course, they’d be definitely right about that Prediction.
ACCORDING TO THE PRESS:
The extremely fine Print on Page 80 of The Chicago Reader listed 4 of the upcoming RedBall Project Locales, but the type was not in line with what The Application of what The Project truly means and symbolizes. As a Designer in my ‘own write,’ it could have been done in RED Print, instead the usual Black Type was utilized. Showing no Imagination is not what our City is all about. Nor did the new Staffers at the Chi-Reader include a Photo as they ordinarily do to catch their Reader’s Eye. With thousands upon thousands of Pictures being taken of the Ball every single Day it is on display (both digitally and with other Cameras), there’s bound to be a Picture that could grace their Paper. So it goes. There’s no accounting for Lack of Support when it comes to supporting The Chicago Art(s).
AS SUNDAY ROLLED IN:
However, the 5THDay of KP’s RedBall found itself under the Pedestrian Viaduct at the Museum Triangle which showcases three of the greatest Museums in America: The Shedd Aquarium, The Field Museum and the Adler Planetarium. Yes, it looked like Mars landed a few feet away from The Adler, Home of some of the highest frequency Telescopes ever invented.
FROM RED BULLS TO RED BALLS:
It’s just another colorful Chicago Weekend
At the Museum Triangle or Campus, as it is called, The Walk-Way is extremely wide and could not be considered a fire-hazard by any accounts. Besides, none of Mrs. O’Leary’s Cows were in the nearby fields. And this Mix of People - History – Nature and Pets set The Scene for a terrific Day where People were introduced to not only Museum Life, but Imagination which is what the RedBall Project is all about. Strollers (and some Babies in those Strollers) could not contain themselves when they saw The Ball suddenly appear there at the end of the Viaduct under Columbus Drive. That’s Pop Art for you. You may never know where it will ‘pop-up’ next.
Some Folks were recuperating from RedBull’s Flugtag Day (that sorrowfully happened 29 blocks north on Saturday, the day before) where their Main Concern was buying their RedBull Drinks for $3 a Can while hand-tooled Apparatuses raced off a Runway into Lake Michigan. How lame can a Company get? Being captivated by and with an abnormal Amount of Pull, some People felt compelled to touch the Ball; others began pounding or punching it. Some crawled under it. Whereby @ the Flugtag Event, fences prevented people from nearing their favorite Float. It was a hands-off affair, except when RedBull wanted their Audience to chock-up the dough for their non-enticing Drink. So it goes.
You’ll find none of that here at Kurt Perschke’s RedBall Project. There’s no fences to jump; no steep entry fee to fear; no gates to hurdle; you can (even) touch (The Art), kick, punch, pounce and crawl under The Sphere. Biking that Day some 23 miles in total, I visited both LakeFront Extravaganzas and found The Difference between the 2 Events to be a meaningful Comparison. Chances are Flugtag will return to Chicago next September. I’ll make it a Point to be somewhere else.
SIA: Seguing Into Art:
For those of you wondering who my Favorite Artists are during the recent Kickoff of Chicago’s Art Season on Friday, September 5TH, those Individuals include:
Kurt Perschke’s RedBall Project - http://redballproject.com/chicago/index.php
Riva Lehrer – ‘Totems & Familiars’
http://www.rivalehrer.com/
at Sid Blocks’ Printworks Gallery - 300 West Superior http://www.printworkschicago.com/)
WK’s Marhoefer (1841 West Chicago Avenue or http://www.genuineobject.com/)
(Ms.) Qin Fengling – Multitude - at Kasia Kay Art Projects (1044 West Market Place) – http://www.kasiakayartprojects.com/
From China and running through October 11TH, 2008 , this is Qin’s first American Exhibition. Unfortunately, she did not appear at their Opening Reception. This is the Site where GORF’s Peace Sign for the Green Movement was unveiled on Saturday, August 9, 2008, my ‘Sweet 16 + 40TH Birthday.
IN CLOSING:
Sunday will go down in History (Art & Chicago Annals) as JPF: Just Plain Fun. It was on People’s Faces. It was in their Strides and Rides. It was in The Air. It was on The Red Ball. It was written so in this Blog.
Wedge your Way into Chicago as the RedBall Project visits:
The 17TH Church of Christ, Scientist at Wacker & Wabash from 11AM-6 PM on Wednesday, September 10, 2008:
Then, ‘RBP’ will be inflated by 11 AM at:
Wicker Park at Damen & North Avenue on September 13, 2008
North Avenue Beach Chess Pavilion on September 14, 2008
Hyde Park Art Center on September 19, 2008
IIT's McCormick Tribune Campus Center on September 20, 2008
19 South LaSalle on September 23, 2008
Federal Plaza on September 24, 2008
Chicago Cultural Center on September 25, 2008
KP’s RedBall Project: And another One of the Best Parts: You don’t even need a Ticket or stand-in-line! Thank you, Target!
REPORTED BY:
ASK: Adrienne Sioux Koopersmith
Koopersmith's Global Communications
"People read what Adrienne writes about..."
&
GORF Werks Central
‘Home of the Grin Reaper’ – Chicago’s First Green Mascot &
The Icon of The Green Movement
Chicago - chicaGORF - Illinois USA
NOTE: For Artistic Consultations, Blog Reporting, Book Reviews, Photo Coverage, etc., contact: ASK @askoopersmith@hotmail.com
Posted: Monday, September 8, 2008 – 2:22 PM CST
FOOTNOTES:
1RedBall-a-Palooza ® - Term created by: ASK (Monday, September 8, 2008 - 11:09 AM)
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