Monument With Standing Beast Sculpture

This towering white beast, standing proud in the heart of Chicago’s Loop, seems to be a giant, frozen sneeze. It is, after all, a sculpture by the renowned artist Jean Dubuffet, known for challenging tradition and creating art that was, in his own words, “Raw Art” or “Art Brut” – a spontaneous and unrefined style. This “Monument With Standing Beast” is a 10-ton, 29-foot tall wonder made of white fiberglass, a striking contrast to the angular modern architecture of the James R. Thompson Center, where it has been a landmark since its unveiling in 1984. This sculpture, based on Dubuffet’s 1960s painting series, Hourloupe, was one of his three monumental sculptures commissioned in the United States. It is said that the sculpture, with its organic, amorphous shape, was inspired by Dubuffet’s early memories of a towering forest in his native France. The artist described the sculpture as “a drawing that extends into space” – a sentiment that resonates when looking at its whimsical, abstract form. This peculiar, monumental beast, dubbed “Snoopy in a blender” by Chicagoans, remains a captivating icon of the city’s art scene.