The Exhibition

Back by popular demand, Highrises showcases selected photographs from artist Chris Hytha’s collection of nearly 200 skyscrapers from across the United States along with a model of the top of the Carbide and Carbon building.

Hytha’s work shines a particular spotlight on Art Deco towers from the 1920s, highlighting ornate details at the tops of these buildings that are often difficult to see from the street.

For this exhibition, the CAC has curated larger photographs that focus on Chicago and the Midwest, with smaller images of buildings located throughout the U.S..

Also included are newly added detailed images of the entrances, extended historical narratives about 21 featured buildings as well as stories of the architects who designed them and the context in which they were built written by historian Mark Houser.

To compose each image, Hytha takes multiple high-resolution scans of a building with his drone, digitally modifying them and adding a panoramic background from the same location.