ARPEGGIO

A climactic art piece, Arpeggio introduces a sense of drama at the newly reopened main station house of the historic Wilson Station in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. Constituting an illuminated sculpture reflected in mirrored wall panels, Cecil Balmond's artwork lends a striking contrast to the station lobby, celebrating the shapes, textures and rhythms of the area’s rich cultural history.

The folded geometric forms and wood-grain finishes are borrowed from 1920s Art Deco design, a style prevalent in the historic architecture of this community. Uptown's legacy in the development and performance of the art form of jazz is signified in the name of the artwork. The musical term Arpeggio describes a type of broken chord, played in succession, either ascending or descending. Such a rhythmic sequence may be interpreted, visually, in the undulating forms, ever-shifting colors and reflections this artwork provides.