Constitution Court got a new public art installation last week, as the Forest Park Arts Alliance welcomed 19 garden posts that will decorate Madison Street through May 22.
Most of the garden posts are no taller than 5 feet and are either 4-inch squares or 3-inch PVC pipes, secured by a metal spike submerged in the ground. When the installation is removed, artists can choose to auction off their post or display it during the Historical Society of Forest Park’s annual garden walk in July.
The Review spoke with some of the artists who created garden posts for Constitution Court to discover the inspiration behind their work and the materials they used.
“Fly Away Home”
Steve Metro created a garden post inspired by a nursery rhyme involving lady bugs. To start his sculpture, the River Forest resident, retired engineer and lifelong woodworker routed channels into the wooden post, filled them with black epoxy, then added small painted wooden lady bugs. He also recessed round holes that he filled with pieces from a 200-year-old oak tree that was recently removed from an Oak Park residence because it was dying.
“Besides being really old, the oak pieces have amazing rings and grain. I always look for patterns in nature,” Metro said. He also epoxied leaves from local trees and his indoor plants to the sculpture. “I am a plant, garden and nature lover and hope others can find peace and happiness in their own gardens and the outdoors. We all need to get out more in nature, appreciate this gift and collectively figure out a way to preserve it.”
“Garage Organic”
Anthony Izzo — parks creative coordinator at the Park District of Forest Park, which he represents as a part of the Arts Alliance board — said his garden post was largely inspired by the process of the park district moving into the garage that used to house H&R Auto.
Izzo used materials he found in the garage on his garden post, including nuts, bolts, chicken wire, zip ties and cut up rubber squares leftover from construction of the Forest Park Aquatic Center’s splash pad.
“I wanted it to be something that almost looked like it was going to come alive and burst out of the ground,” Izzo said. He added that, by the time the Arts Alliance removes the posts from Constitution Court, his might look a little different.
“Over the time that it’s going to be displayed, it may actually change form. We’ll see if that concept actually works and translates to how the wind and rain might affect the structure of it and how it might shape the form as it’s out in the elements,” Izzo said.
“Gumball Stack”
Forest Park resident Burt Isenstein teaches at the School of The Art Institute of Chicago with a specialty in digital fabrication. So, Isenstein made his garden post out of 50% recycled plastic with his 3D printing machine and modeled the sculpture in a design application with a tool called “Gumball.”
He said the sculpture’s teal, yellow, red, pink and green colors were a part of the tool’s original rendering of the sculpture.
“I also wanted it to be bright and cheerful,” Isenstein said. He added that, while designing his sculpture went quickly, printing out its components took much longer. The sculpture has seven sections, each which took a day or two for the 3D printer to complete.
“Metamorphosis of the Butterfly”
Mark Hadhazy used a dremel to carve his wooden garden post, leaving few angles on the sculpture. He was inspired by his interest in gardening, adorning the pole with images of flowers, butterflies and leaves. With a degree in biology and master’s in studio art, Hadhazy got into painting as a way to relax before retiring from being a hospital administrator at the University of Chicago. He typically paints with watercolors and alcohol inks but used the latter and acrylic paint on his post before sealing it with several layers of varnish.
“This is a whole new medium for me,” Hadhazy said of woodworking, adding that it was both exciting and a challenge. “I hope people will appreciate the work that goes into it.”
“Peppy Petals”
Tamara Koransky, an Oak Park elementary school teacher, designed her garden post based on her love for floral mandala artwork, which she teaches regularly at Friendly Music Community in Berwyn.
Koransky started by priming the wooden post, painted the background sea green, sketched flowers with a paint pen, and created a circular design around flowers. She then painted the flowers with acrylic paint and outlined them in black to make them pop. The whole process took her four days, the last day including 12 hours of painting flowers.
“I always use bright colors. The brighter, the better,” Koransky said in response to how she chose the hues.
Public art
Many of the artists hoped for those viewing their garden posts sticking up from the ground in Constitution Court to have similar takeaways.
Koransky said she hopes the installation brightens up someone’s day.
“I hope people walk by, and it brings a smile to their face,” Koransky said. “Public art is so important. It can surprise people as they’re going about a normal day.”
“My post in particular is kind of optimistic in a time where it’s hard to find a lot of optimism,” Isenstein said of “Gumball Stack.”
“Having this on a busy urban street in Forest Park, hopefully people, for a split second, turn to see something different,” Izzo said. “I really believe art subliminally affects people. I really believe that energy from art inspires people.” He added that it’s why he strives to incorporate art into park district grounds.
“Hopefully people will appreciate [the installation] and maybe even inspire somebody to put one of these babies in their yard or garden,” Hadhazy said. “The future in art, with grant money and things like that, is getting more and more limited… I hate to see the art, especially the studio arts, take a real bite.”
Arts group of the year
On April 4, the Forest Park Arts Alliance announced that the Oak Park Area Arts Council had honored it as this year’s Champion of the Arts Award. The award recognizes the Arts Alliance for expanding its multidisciplinary arts programming and events in Forest Park. Byline Bank sponsored the $1,000 prize.