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

From "Chicago Sculpture" by Riedy: "A connected system of repeated, jagged thrusts infuses Polyphony with a vigorous quality and sense of rhythm."

Base: approx. H. 80 in. Diam. 15 1/2 in.

I was intrigued by the name and wondered where it came from. I found this site: (visit link)
which indicates that the sculpture "symbolizes the rhythm and motion of a conductor’s baton as he directs an orchestra." That makes sense!

Also, it says that Polyphony was originally displayed at Chicago's Marina City in 1965 and labels the sculpture as "Polyphony II". Riedy also mentions that there was a prior statue in at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, and this site: (visit link)
refers to Weiner's "Polyphony of 1963", so I suspect that our statue should, in fact, really be called Polyphony II. I subsequently found a Chicago Tribune article dated 11/2/1965 showing the statue unveiling at Marina City and calling it "Polyphony II." It further states that the statue was created by Weiner in Norway and confirms the baton theme.

Riedy, who shows the statue in front of St. Joseph's, was published in 1981, so the statue had to have been moved to the hospital location before then. The location now at St. Joseph's is a bit hidden behind the bushes. The hospital is noted for its exterior geometric designs, so this clashes with the background. Photos from every angle produce a different result!

Sculptor Egon Weiner was born in Vienna, Austria in 1906. He fled Nazi-occupied Austria in 1938 and became an American citizen in 1944. He worked as a professor of sculpture at the Art Institute of Chicago and as a visiting professor of art at Augustana College. He died in Evanston, Illinois, in 1987. He and Frank Lloyd Wright were friends. See other waymarks of his work at (visit link) , (visit link) and nearby at (visit link)

Title: Polyphony (II) Artist: Egon Weiner Media (materials) used: Bronze Location (specific park, transit center, library, etc.): SE corner of St. Joseph Hospital front entrance at 2900 N. Lake Shore Drive Date of creation or placement: 11/2/1965

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