I had a wonderful day yesterday at the art institute off Michigan Avenue, you really could lose yourself for days in this wonderful place, with rooms and corridors full of wonderful art work, and a whole ‘wing’ dedicated to modern and contemporary American art.

Walking up to the building as I strolled the length of Michigan Avenue was a delight in itself. It holds echos of the grandeur similar to that of the larger London museums, but is grand and delightful in its own right. There are two large lion statues bookending some harsh-cut asymmetrical steps that draw your eyes into the sheer glass and gold doors that invite you in.

The flags are triumphantly boasted amongst the crisp arches that advertise a few of their exhibitions …

Walking in you’re greeted by a grand hallway, Some sweeping staircases that make you feel a little like you’ve just stepped into an Escher drawing with a Victorian twist. The high ceiling and windows allow the light to stream in and dance around the images creating Stark contrast to the shadows thrown in and around the corridors and slightly smaller rooms containing more light sensitive artifacts.

Each room sweeps your eyes up and around drawing you in no particular order to the art work displayed, the natural rhythm of the space makes for a real exploratory experience. People hover and weave around, past and towards the different artists in a lovely ebb and flow, like they’re​ cascading water, leaving pockets of empty space to really drink in the space.

I highly recommend this as a must-see in Chicago. From Monet to Andy Warhol, hand carved sculptures and armour through-the-ages to immaculate portraits of poetical history. It’s a real walk through time.

Cheers folks,

Josie x

(Just a little disclaimer, I claim no rights for the ownership or creation of the artwork shown in this blog)

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