We went there yesterday and it was definitely interest to look at this art.(from Weblink)
Spindle is a sculpture created by artist Dustin Shuler in 1989 that consists of a 40 foot spike with eight
cars impaled on it.
[1] It is located in the parking lot of Cermak Plaza shopping center in
Berwyn, Illinois and was commissioned by the then shopping center owner David Bermant, who also donated his
BMW car to be placed second from the top of the sculpture.
[2] The foundation of the sculpture reaches nearly 30 feet into the ground; the cost of erecting it was over $75,000.
[3] The sculpture has been featured in the film
Wayne's World, on the cover of a book,
[4] postcards, state tourist brochures and maps.
[5]
The impaled cars on the spindle are as follows in order:
1967
Volkswagen Beetle, red
1976
BMW, silver License Plate reads "DAVE"
1981
Ford Escort, blue
1974 or 1973
Mercury Capri, green
1978
Ford Mustang, white over blue
1981
Pontiac Grand Prix, maroon or burgundy
1980 or 1979
Ford LTD, light yellow
1981 or 1979
Mercury, black
Throughout its existence the sculpture has been controversial amongst Berwyn residents and in 1990 they voted overwhelmingly for it to be removed.
[6] However, the Mayor of Berwyn has described the sculpture as "icon in our community",
[6] and David Bermant claimed that the shopping center received 30% more business than comparable shopping centers due to the quirky art around the center.
[2]The future of the sculpture is now in doubt as the shopping center is to be redeveloped and the site of the sculpture is earmarked for a
Walgreens store. It is currently being debated as to whether the sculpture should be relocated or simply removed due to the high cost of relocation (estimated at over $350,000). The uncertain future of the sculpture has again sparked disagreement between residents who view it as a Berwyn landmark and residents who view it as an eyesore.
[5][7]On Friday,
July 27,
2007, The Chicago
Critical Mass rode to the Spindle in an effort to raise awareness surrounding the sculpture. Around 2,000 cyclists made the 14.8 mile trek from Daley Plaza in the Loop in support of the artwork.
[8]On August 1, 2007, radio station
WLUP interviewed the Berwyn mayor with the main subject being the Spindle. According to the mayor, the sculpture's removal has been pushed to mid-September
2007, and the sculpture will most likely be moved down the street.[
citation needed] As of March 2008, however, the Spindle is still standing. The sculpture is available for purchase in an eBay auction ending 4/17/2008. Starting bid is $50,000.
