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The very idea of the Victorian photocollage goes against much of what we are taught to expect from this straight-laced, prim and proper era. We think corsets and strict posing, not sharp wit and fun-loving sensibilities. And why shouldn’t we? The Art Institute’s new exhibit, Playing with Pictures: The Art of Victorian Photocollage, shows us why we’re so mistaken.
Upon first glimpse of these bizarre collages, you cannot help but feel that you are now part of some private joke over a century in the making. Family photos are trimmed, save the heads, and placed in drawn bottles, pasted on the bodies of animals, decorating drawn frames and playing cards. The magnitude of the collection suggests this was a popular art form. The pleasant shock at which I, along with other viewers, displayed while absentmindedly strolling through the gallery still has me shaking my head in disbelief. We were all a bit betrayed by history.
To understand this new world of surreal-structure and depth-defying imagery, I had to put myself in the shoes of artist Marie-Blanche-Hennelle Fournier, featured in the collection. Little is known about the eccentric Madame B, but, it is widely speculated that she employed her craft to garner favor with social groups. More Bewitching artist than social Butterfly, Madame B was arguably an innovator and felt quite smug with her new documented truths. And what greater form of rebellion from her life as a diplomat’s wife, than to be a quirky artist. Standing there in gallery, we all understood that.
The joke was that Madame B and others saw the rest of the world for what it was, and told everyone to stop taking themselves so seriously. A young boy riding a heron, or a joker scattering family portraits in a meadow subverted expectations and gave way to the absurd. It is a message that had many viewers smiling and nodding either for the sheer hilarity of the work, or for the continued relevance of one looking to upset the bourgeois standard.
For the Art Institute, where permanent exhibits range somewhere from Napoleonic furnishings to Egyptian pottery, this was a welcome, albeit sarcastic, change. Madame B’s album will be on permanent display, whereas the rest of the exhibit will enjoy a shorter viewing through 2010.
As one of the first looks into a new kind of artistic inspiration, the Victorian photocollage remains an unexpectedly fascinating testament to historical documentation. Look for it on your way to Renaissance jewelry.
-Ileana
Check out my feature article in this month’s Midwest Construction magazine!
Cultural and Municipal Building Projects Make Their Marks in the Midwest
Each will enrich or help protect lives
Cultural, civic, and municipal construction projects bring us buildings that house the libraries, theaters, museums and sporting facilities that add richness to a community’s life. They also build the city halls, courthouses, and police stations that help a city function and protect its citizens. Here are five such projects now under construction.
By Ileana Ionescu
Often sources of civic pride, cultural and municipal construction projects can help enrich the lives of a region’s population by enabling people to gather and enjoy all forms of the arts. Other kinds of municipal construction, such as law-enforcement facilities, can help people live more safely by increasing the morale and efficiency of the police departments that protect them. Either way, cultural and municipal facilities offer designers and contractors the opportunity to participate in projects that will long remain memorable showcases in the public’s focus.
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Here are a few of the memorable current cultural and municipal construction projects going on in Midwest Construction’s circulation area.
New Police Headquarters in Aurora, Ill.
Slated to be one of the largest and greenest in the United States, the grand, 400,000-sq-ft complex is as impressive in size as it is in unique building partnerships. The combined efforts of Leopardo Construction Inc., Phoenix architectural firm McClaren, Wilson and Lawrie, Inc. and the city of Aurora, Ill. delivered this brick-and-drywall monument to justice to the formerly-disenchanted Aurora Police Department.
The city’s existing outdated facility and inadequate parking had left the force with low morale, says Commander Joseph Groom. But these new state-of-the-art buildings are just the remedy Groom and his fleet need; “We’ve had half of the department here on tours, and they are absolutely thrilled. Nobody can wait for the day we move in here.”
The complex, located off Farnsworth Ave. just a few blocks off I-88, is made up of the headquarters, a 911 emergency call center, training and support building that include amenities such as a firearms range and a forensics lab, and a 500-car parking garage. Aesthetically, the structure combines modern design elements, such large windows to allow in lots of light, and one-way glass stairwells located on either side of the building for a new take on privacy. The brick exterior, complete with gargoyle-style carvings, also complements the older style of buildings in Aurora.
Principal architect James Lewis McClaren explains that designing a headquarters that spans four counties brought up various construction and special issues, but these costs are nothing compared to the amount saved by creating one large facility and eliminating the demand for others.
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| Construction is under way for the $43-million, 81,000-sq-ft addition to the Chazen Museum of Art in Madison, Wis. The addition is scheduled for completion in 2011. (Photo courtesy of J.H. Findorff & Son, Inc.) |
One major consideration in the design was minimizing ecological impact. The city of Aurora decided that green certification should be integral to the construction process. Some of the environmentally-friendly elements of the LEED Gold-seeking building are: permeable pavers designed to absorb storm water runoff; the use of recycled product in the ceiling, drywall, countertops, and other building products; the recycling of at least 75% of construction waste; and choosing finishes that can be washed with soap and water rather than harmful chemicals.
The department’s around-the-clock work schedule was another consideration in the design. The headquarters uses a rubber-based floor covering instead of carpeting, which would require near-constant replacement.
Not only is the building among the greenest police stations in the nation, it is also among the largest projects of its kind going on right now. The headquarters is currently the largest civic building under construction in Illinois and also the largest full-service municipal police headquarters under construction in the U.S., according to Mike Behm, vice president at Leopardo.
The price tag on the complex, McClaren notes, has remained relatively close to the project’s goal of $91 million, even during a time when concrete and steel prices are “going through the roof.”
All involved agree that teamwork was the key to design success. “We’re a workable team,” says Barbara Kattermann, project manager at the city of Aurora. “Everybody has come to become a part of the project. There was benefit to it.”
