The welded bronze and granite sculpture was created by African-American sculptor Richard Hunt (b. 1935). Born on the south side of Chicago on 12 September 1935, he developed an early interest in drawing, painting and sculpting. While attending the School of the Art Institute and the University of Illinois in Chicago in the 1950s, he began experimenting with objects-such as broken machine parts and discarded metal-found in the junkyards of Chicago. This artistic experimentation continued throughout his career-and his recent sculptures use the welding technique to create flowing and abstract forms.
Professional welders typically use one of three types of metal (steel, bronze or silver). After constructing the basic form of the sculpture, the welder uses a blowtorch to connect the individual pieces of metal. The extremely hot flame of the blowtorch causes the material to melt, flow together and harden into a single piece. It also temporarily softens the hard metal, thereby enabling the pliable forms to be further modified by hammering, cutting or reconstructing. After joining the individual pieces into a single form, the welder grinds down any rough seams and buffs the surface to an shiny finish.
Eagle Columns features three bronze birds perched majestically above their granite pedestals. Although these eagles are vaguely reminiscent of natural forms, they are heavily abstracted by Richard Hunt. He transformed their beaks, wings and bodies into simple volumes, sharp angles and organic flames. The sculpture was inspired by a poem (The Eagle is Forgotten) by Vachel Lindsay in honor of Illinois governor John Peter Altgeld (1847-1902), an early advocate of community parks in Chicago. Donations from local residents-together with a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts-brought the sculpture to Jonquil Park in 1989.
Additional works by Richard Hunt can be found in public spaces throughout the city of Chicago, as well as in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), the National Gallery of Art (Washington DC) and the Art Institute of Chicago.