American Gothic.

By the sound of this headline you might think I am referring to kids in America dressing up in gothic clothing. I am not. Actually, “American Gothic” is one of the most recognized paintings in the world; similar to the Mona Lisa, it has been morphed into hundreds, if not thousands, of renditions. In Chicago recently, it was made into a 24-foot statue that looked out over Michigan Avenue.

Well, it’s no longer there. If you are thinking it may have just walked off down the “Magnificent Mile” as it is known, I am sorry to say it’s not that interesting. Similar to the “Cows” that graced the streets of Chicago several years back, this work of art was only temporary. I had no idea as it was there for quite a while. It was really cool.

The statue has been photographed for the past year---it was on display and became a tourist site. When I was there several months ago there were lines of people who were waiting to take pictures of themselves, friends, whomever that stood by the enormous suitcase. Turns out this “movable landmark” was almost as popular as some of our other “non-movable” landmarks such as: Cloudgate (AKA “The Bean”), The Picasso Sculpture, and others around the city. But it is there no longer.

Turns out “God Bless America,” as it is titled, lasted for twice as long as anticipated due to its popularity by both visitors and residents of the city. Unlike the “cows” that were on display the summer of 1999, this statute was not stolen on the back of a truck or vandalized---however, the cows were sold to local businesses afterward ranging in price from $2,500 to $11,000. (You can still see some of the cows in office buildings where these companies are headquartered.)

The photo above was taken in September, 2009; the location was under construction, something planned before the display went up, but it didn’t affect people from posing. Chicago is a wonderful town for photography---I am waiting for a statue to be erected that focuses on cold, grey weather, it will be one of the most recognizable because that’s how it is in Chicago months of the year. We will miss “God Bless America” as it heads to Mesa, AZ. We wish it a safe journey.

Thanks for stopping by.