You will admire the beauty of his design at the bottom of the sculpture, which is inspired by the Omphalos and is an indentation where the mirrored surface gives multiple reflections of any object situated under it. Though the structure was under construction during the inauguration of the park in 2004, this magical visual of a structure was finally completed in May 2006. Chicago’s Cloud Gate is Anish Kapoor’s first public outdoor sculpture in the United States.

The Bean was conceptualized and designed by Anish Kapoor, an internationally acclaimed Indian-born British sculptor who is renowned for his large-scale abstract projects with geometric shapes and reflective surfaces. The idea was a huge success as the sky above the park descended into the curved outer surface, while the underside of the structure created a grand entrance to the park, giving it the distinctive shape like that of a Bean. As the visitors walked into the gate, they experienced a blissful sense of walking into the clouds. The idea of creating this masterpiece was to make a grand entrance like structure at the Millennium Park that would imbibe the incredible skyline of Chicago, the open sky and the lake. The shiny surface gives a beautiful manifestation of the people strolling around the park, the surrounding skyline, the lights of Michigan Avenue, and peace offered by the green space making it an unforgettable Millennium Park experience. The Bean’s reflective surface looks like liquid mercury floating in the structure. The Chicago Bean, 201 E Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60602, United States | Website What does The Bean mean? If you are planning to take a stroll in the Michigan Avenue between Randolph and Monroe, you can’t miss the spectacular sight. You will be able to identify The Bean at a prominent location at the Millennium Park, the lakefront park in the city of Chicago just above the McCormick Tribune Plaza, behind the Park Grill Restaurant. This monumental work of public art is in the heart of Chicago, and soon after its unveiling, it was adored by all, earning the title of Chicago’s most iconic sights. Unveiled in 2004, it is one of the world’s largest permanent outdoor art fixtures in the United States. The sculpture that is officially titled as Cloud Gate gained popularity to become the famous Chicago Bean because of its unique shape, design, and the captivating image of the surroundings. And the way it reflects Chicago’s inner city skyline makes it a supremely contextual artwork.7 Why is it called The Bean? What is The Chicago Bean? I saw people looking at their reflections while doing head stands or stroking its shiny surface. It is a far more interactive piece and practically begs you to take a selfie next to it. Joan and I also visited the Cloud Gate sculpture (better known as “The Bean”) by Anish Kapoor in Millennium Park and found it equally engaging for a different set of reasons. I liked the recursive irony (however amateurish) of applying Picasso’s approach to Picasso’s sculpture and called the little drawing “Watercolorist’s Revenge” And, the image created by multiple viewpoints was just what Picasso’s cubism was all about. Anyway, back home I assessed the sketches and found that by combining them, I could create a composition that reflected my response to the monument. One thing about sketching it helps you appreciate what you are looking at. I tried several angles, but none of them captured the dynamic three dimensionality of the sculpture.

Other art critics have opined that it was modeled after an Afghan hound who was owned by one of Picasso’s friends.Īnyway, I found the sculpture a knockout, and decided to sketch it. On a recent visit to Chicago, actually my first visit to Chicago since I was a kid, I made a special trip to see Picasso’s work titled “Monumental Sculpture” – which looks like a horse but may actually have been inspired by a 19 year old French girl with a long neck who wore her hair a high ponytail whom Picasso employed as a model.

Chicago bean drawing