Reflections - Chicago, IL - Abstract Public Sculptures on Waymarking.com

Use caution as this sculpture is displayed in the center of a median in a traffic circle. It is one of several notable sculptures displayed outside the Aon Center. The flowing, largely horizontal shape of the sculpture does indeed reflect the city around it. Artist Joseph Burlini was trained as an industrial designer but eventually made the switch to sculpture and fine art.

Bio of Burlini from the website of Toomey & Co.:

Born in 1937, Burlini spent his youth in Morton Grove, Illinois. He studied industrial design at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago from 1956 to 1960. To start his professional career, he worked for Sears Roebuck and Co. for six years designing toys, cameras, rifles, and other goods. In his spare time, Burlini began to experiment with drawing “Larger Than Life” celebrity portraits as well as welding sculptures from steel rods.

In 1965, Burlini entered a sculpture in The Chicago and Vicinity Show at the Art Institute of Chicago and won the John G. Curtis prize. Soon thereafter, Burlini told his new wife, Sue Ellen, that he planned to quit working in industrial design to become a full-time artist and she encouraged him to pursue his passion.

Throughout Burlini’s 50-plus years as an artist, his focus has evolved in multiple directions. During his gallery years, Burlini went through a 15-year machine phase and later a Man in the Box period. Burlini also produced his Satin and Smoke polished bronze series and 24-carat gold Butterfly People. Perhaps most notable was Burlini’s 15-year stretch creating kinetic do-nothing machines composed of metal rods, wheels, wings, rudders, etc.

The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago held an early retrospective of Burlini’s work in 1977 entitled Rockets to Rainbows. In subsequent decades, Burlini was commissioned to create bold public sculptures and innovative awards for various corporations and organizations. His clients have included McDonald’s, Standard Oil, Walt Disney Studios, the Pentagon, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and many other Chicago-area institutions.

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Title: Reflections Artist: Joseph A. Burlini Media (materials) used: Bronze plate Location (specific park, transit center, library, etc.): Behind the Aon Center at 200 E. Randolph in downtown Chicago Date of creation or placement: 1986

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