The large-scale sculpture Monument with Standing Beast by Jean Dubuffet is located in downtown Chicago in front of the James R. Thompson Center, which houses state offices. It weighs 10 tons and is almost 30 feet tall.
The sculpture is based on Dubuffet’s painting series Hourioupe, and the artist has called it a “drawing which extends into space.” Its four elements suggest the forms of a standing animal, a tree, a portal and an architectural form.
Apparently the piece has been nicknamed “Snoopy in a blender” by Chicagoans.
The cartoon-like crudeness of the sculpture is a fun counterpoint to its rectilinear surroundings. It can be entered, and its strange orifices provide interesting glimpses at nearby buildings.
