Midnight Blue On Display At Fashion Outlets Of Chicago

Artist Hebru Brantley created an installation “Midnight Blue” which is on permanent exhibition at Fashion Outlets of Chicago. Photo courtesy of Bianca Garcia
Artist Hebru Brantley created an installation “Midnight Blue” which is on permanent exhibition at Fashion Outlets of Chicago. Photo courtesy of Bianca Garcia

Midnight Blue On Display At Fashion Outlets Of Chicago

By Tia Carol Jones

For his latest piece, Midnight Blue, Hebru Brantley took inspiration from jazz music and the song, “Round Midnight.” Midnight Blue is a bit of an extension of the work he has always done. He said it has a sporadic nature, like the jazz music he listens to, to the storytelling and abstraction to the narrative.

The permanent installation, which features Brantley’s character Flyboy, is part of THE COLLECTION at the Fashion Outlets of Chicago in Rosemont. The installation is located on Level One, near the Food Court. THE COLLECTION was established in 2016 as a way to showcase the work of artists and give visitors access to contemporary work. In addition to permanent commissions, like Brantley’s, there are also rotating exhibitions.

“When we established THE COLLECTION, we set out to provide Fashion Outlets of Chicago shoppers with an unparalleled, yet approachable visual art experience,” Katie Walsh, Senior Marketing Manager at Fashion Outlets of Chicago, said in a release. “With the addition of this incredible work by an artist as iconic as Hebru Brantley, we are demonstrating our commitment to providing world-class, museum-quality work to the public in an unexpected, unique setting.”

Brantley has a background in design and media illustration. His character, Flyboy, is inspired by the Tuskegee Airmen. He said it took the statue a couple of months to complete.

Brantley said that with the work being displayed in a shopping mall and not in an art gallery, it is an opportunity to engage with an audience that might not be familiar with his work and might not be familiar with a lot of contemporary artists. It is a way to meet people where they live.

Brantley said it felt good to have the installation unveiled after months of working on it. He said people who work in the mall who have been able to see the work through its phases, are appreciative of the work and they like it. He said the responses to the work have been positive.

“I think what they’re doing is very unique to Chicago and the States and the amount of artists they’ve already amassed in THE COLLECTION. They have some really notable creatives in the collection and to be a part of conversation with them is something any artist would want, to be in a notable collection, the only difference is that it is in a mall instead of someone’s home or in an institution,” he said. Brantley wants his work to be received well by the people who see it. For him, his intention is not to make anyone feel a certain way. He believes you take from the art what you bring to it, based on someone’s personal experiences.

For more information about Hebru Brantley, visit www.hebrubrantley.com. For more information about THE COLLECTION at Fashion Outlets of Chicago, visit https://www.fashionoutletsofchicago.com/TheCollection.

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