It's... by Chipka
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No AI - This artwork was created entirely by hand or with traditional digital tools.
Description
Though my schedule has changed, I am accustomed to working on Saturdays. My weekends exist somewhere behind the weekends of virtually everyone else in Chicago. Saturday is my Friday…Monday is my Sunday. This suits me. I like sleeping when everyone else is getting up; I like being just a tiny bit out of synch. Things stay interesting that way; free surprises pop out of any given Monday.
Though I regularly work on Saturdays, I’m usually exhausted after work, and so I don’t spend very much time taking photographs. Though I remain creative and plugged into whatever current my Muse has chosen to provide, I tend to do things that don’t involve my camera. Today was, however, an exception. I took a few extra minutes after work so that I might walk around and find something to photograph. I’d done the Chicago River numerous times, and even the viridian-hued constructivist flamingo (that looks nothing like a flamingo) and though I wasn’t in the mood to wander very far, I wandered…in search of…
…and what I found in the lobby of a municipal building was…
…Well, from a distance, it looked a bit like…
…wreckage…
…in the shape of a thermonuclear explosion. It’s not every day one gets to see a mushroom cloud made up of the sorts of things you’d find in a junk-yard. I suspect, however, that those who work in a particular building, get to see a mushroom cloud made out of the sorts of things you’d find in a junk-yard artistically arranged in the center of an otherwise-bland lobby. I must go back and visit the building I passed. I want to see the artwork without the partition of window-glass between it and myself.
For now, however, I’m happy to have this shot of. It. I can’t say what it is, and it’s hiding behind reflections of downtown Chicago, but—rather like the plot of a story—it reveals itself in bits and pieces. And perhaps there is a story here. Only time will tell.
I hope to revisit this thing in the near future, but until then, here is a glimpse…a hint…an intriguing jumble.
As always, thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting, and I hope you’re all having a great week.

Comments (17)
I suppose that part of the message is that a mushroom cloud will render all of man's works to junk in short order. But to look at it, or perhaps reflect upon it - I know, bad joke, I studied physics we're all like that - there is a classical machine quality to the sculpture. Pre-nuclear industrial I would suggest. Maybe the artist felt that any route for a technical civilization would lead to disaster someday. The mushroom cloud being a convenient symbol or the end regardless of how we manage to bring it about.
That image is so cool.
near left center I see someone's profile, looking down Great capture Chip!
That is so cool, I can't wait to see more of this!
Great shot and post-work !!!!
You've got me totally hooked. I have no idea what the perspective or view of this shot really is. I do not see any mushroom cloud but I see massive amounts of massive metalic mangled mess. I see a massive lizard head about to bite down on a color metal wheel. I wonder is this junk or art or is it both? I wait to see if you might reveal an answer. It has been a long time since I connected with you.
Intriguing ! Can't wait till it is revealed.
A fascinating image. It really turns reality on its head. Is it behind a reflected window or is it reflected in the window? I would be very impatient to find out what it is.
A very interesting work, well done!
Great shot. Love the reflections.
Fantastic, whats next!!!!
Fantastic capture !
Enigmatic; I'm curious now too, wanting to see it without anything between me and it...great find and capture!
OH Yes, I am with the rest of the gang here :-) I need to see what that really looks like :-) But this looks pretty fascinating :-)
I can't imagine what this is, I mean I've been in this city a long time but I just can't place this. But part of that is because of your wonderful collision of reflection and non-reflection, and the big in-your-face nature of this capture. Whatever it is, it looks like just what you say it is, a kind of nuclear explosion. (I should say "nu-cu-lar" since that's what everyone calls it in Washington.) The metallic portions do, as you say, look like a sculpture made of scrap metal and parts of old cars, shined and welded to make this strange beast. I recognize the center high rise (though can't tell you what it is), and I can see other views of the city in there. It's always amazed me how you got single shots that look like blends; and how you get all these worlds into one shot without a single blend is beyond me. And it looks like some municipal building on the far left too (if the one you mentioned was the center one). And a big light reflection on the top---can't say "exactly" what anything is, here, but it looks like a city backdrop to a creature that crawled out of a scrap metal dump and coalesced into a hungry beast. Very inspired work; and your words are, as always, a model of pondering, musing and play. And btw, everytime I hear "It's" by itself I think of the beginning of the Python shows, with Michael Palin as the hermit, running out of a cave and saying "ITTTTT'S" (cue the music). I don't think that's what you had in mind, but It wouldn't vie with the image, to be sure. Very creative work, as always, Chip.
Superb capture my friend. God bless.
That is totally cool. You've got me thinking about what I might be able to do that's similar! Heaven knows I've got plenty of pictures of tall buildings. :D This is terrific!