EDGEWATER — The towering robotic statue now keeping watch over Edgewater and those who pass by it on the Lakefront Trail is making a splash in its new digs by the lake.
Despite its distinct, other-worldly look and jarring height, the "Striding Figure/Large Walking Figure 1" at Foster Beach is also strangely familiar.
Commenters who saw an earlier DNAinfo story on the art piece said it reminded them of characters like Slenderman, Jack Skellington and the Iron Giant.
Some readers also found resemblance from "Star Wars" robots K-2SO and S 1B, while others saw similarities with iconic works of high art, like that of Edvard Munch, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Alberto Giacometti.
Those comparisons might not be far off.
Here's the new sculpture near Foster Beach. [DNAinfo/Linze Rice]
From left to right: 2 1B of "Star Wars;" giant from "The Iron Giant;" Colossus of Marvel's "Deadpool" series; K-2SO of "Star Wars." [Facebook]
In past interviews British-born artist Thomas Houseago, who now lives in Los Angeles, said he draws inspiration from people like Picasso and Giacometti, as well as characters like Darth Vader and The Hulk.
Psychedelic imagery from The Beatles and stories told through Bob Dylan lyrics serve as fuel for his creativity, he's said.
Before Houseago's figure was brushed with a black patina and brought to Chicago, it was white and standing outside the Leeds Art Gallery in his hometown.
The gigantic sculpture, which was installed with the help of a crane Tuesday near the 0.5 mile maker on the Lakefront Trail, is 15½ feet tall, more than 6 feet wide and stretches 9 feet in length at an angle.
It's not a permanent installation but will be up at least a year, city officials said.
From left to right: Jack Skellington of Tim Burton's "A Nightmare Before Christmas;" the legend Slenderman; artist Alberto Giacometti's "Walking Man." [Facebook]
Many dopplegangers readers linked the statue to displayed stick-like, slender arms and legs with block-like heads, wide, mitt-like hands and long, flat feet.
Up close, the figure looks as if thick chords of muscle show through a dark exterior that almost appears as if it were painted in bold brush strokes of mud.
It's mask-like face mirrors a skull, complete with cartoonish oversized eye sockets.
A similar statue of Houseago's, "Striding Figure II" was described by the New York Times as resembling "a cinematic monster emerging from a junk yard where some extraterrestrial being brought it to life."
Houseago's works also play on ideas of masculinity, of which the Times said "Striding Figure" gave a "terrific embodiment."
Edvard Munch's famous "The Scream" painting, and the mask made famous by the teen thrasher film "Scream." [Facebook]
"I do believe art is a force for good ... in the desire to add to the beauty of the world," Houseago has said of his art. "I think it is important to be reminded that you are a human, that you live in a body, and that you are obliged to live with a sense of mystery."
Well-made art can "help you to think openly, abstractly, sensually," Houseago said.
"You know there were all these fantasies about how modern the 21st century would be — that we would be in space ships and silver suits."
The "Figure" at Foster Beach exemplifies those beliefs: mystery, abstraction and a futuristic armor-like body.
Commenters also drew comparisons to the abstract album covers of band Nine Inch Nails, which showcase shadowy figures, washed-out color schemes and a general overarching dark aura.
The eccentric work of the late Basquiat also resonated with some viewers.
Basquiat's 1982 "Philistines" includes a black skeletal figure with bulging eyes amid a backdrop of faces and bright color patterns.
More than one person hearkened to the 1975 film "The Wicker Man" when describing the statue.
In the top left, a painting by artist Jean-Michel Basquiat next to a collage of album covers by band Nine Inch Nails. Below is a scene from the 1975 movie "The Wicker Man." [Facebook]
