Some time in the mid-1990s, a major tree in front of the Loyola Park Field House died and needed to be removed. Why not turn it into a sculpture? So one warm day, a slightly mad character of middle-European descent attacked the trunk with a chain saw. Smoking unfiltered Pall Malls, he made the chips fly before an encircling audience until something approximating the photos above emerged, a mildly phallic viking dream boat.
When he finished, I beckoned. For some reason, he came.
“You know,” I said, “you should be wearing safety goggles.”
Whatever comment he was expecting, it wasn’t that. He was flummoxed for a moment then replied with exaggerated dignity, “I know the way of the wood.”
Well! That told me what’s what! He walked away.
The three photos above were taken some years later. Some parts of the original sculpture had decayed or broke and had been removed. I’m not sure when it was entirely removed, but in 2018, it’s history. As usual, click on the image to enlarge.
Down on the south end of Loyola Park, someone had the idea of making a sculpture kids could play on. I’ve totally forgotten just when this was erected, but I’m pretty sure it’s another item from the 1990s. These photos were taken in 2017 or very early 2018. Click any image to enlarge.
This is a flotsam sculpture, from the wreckage of a tree. A few days later, it looked like this:
I’m not sure if this work is “authorized” or guerrilla art. It doesn’t matter.
