The 50-Ton Constructivist Flamingo by Chipka
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Description
Chicago’s Flamingo, designed and constructed by Alexander Calder, is as enigmatic as any major piece of modern sculpture to beautify the otherwise drab heart of the city. It borrows freely from the Constructivist Art movement, started in Russia in 1919—or thereabouts, though Constructivism promptly vanished from the Russian artistic scene with the arrival of Soviet Realist ugliness…um…I mean art.
As a child, I thought the statue actually represented a Flamenco dancer rather than a literal flamingo; needless to say, I was immensely disappointed when I turned 9, and learned that I’d mis-heard the statue’s name and that the garish arches in Federal Plaza were a bird and not an exotic, Spanish dancer wearing an invisible dress.
Now I know a Flamenco dancer, and so the associations of name and Statue remain firmly fixed in my mind. I’ve even attempted to ascribe some qualities of the dancer I know to the statue. Needless to say, the Flamenco dancer—a woman named Marissa—is far prettier, and lighter on her feet than the 50 tons of painted steel arching over the dullness of Federal Plaza: vermilion is not exactly her color, though she does favor exuberant sartorial expressions from time to time.
According to all official records, the statue is painted a brilliant vermilion; it’s still that color, but whenever anyone photographs it, the color shifts to eye-searing red, or even a dull, fiery rust. A bit of the orangishness that defines true vermilion comes through, on occasion, but like most photographic subjects in Chicago, this statue is notoriously uncooperative. Its distinctive arches allow viewers to meander around and under it; thus making the piece easier for humans to fully experience on a human scale, but it’s quite impossible to get the full statue into a camera frame if you’re standing in the wrong spot. (In Chicago-speak, the wrong spot is anywhere that doesn’t have traffic zooming through it.)
I grabbed this shot of the Flamingo on the day that Corey and I wandered from the heart of downtown Chicago to Chinatown, and then up from Chinatown to Roosevelt Road before a nocturnal return to Albany Park. It was sullen and overcast when I took this shot, and so the vermilion hue of the arch-work seemed to stand out even more against the monolithic, graphite and black tones of the surrounding buildings. I was fascinated by the lines of this statue, by the reflections of windows within windows, and by the skittish skateboarders who immediately vanished when Corey and I arrived with our cameras. With the skateboarders gone, we had Federal Plaza to ourselves. For the most part. Quiet tourists appeared, snapped pictures, and disappeared after consulting their pop-up maps. It was that kind of a day: quiet and overcast, but a good one, nonetheless.
I’d thought to post-work this piece, but decided against it. For some reason, the Flamingo must be seen in its unaltered state, and so aside from cropping and a faint adjustment of levels and contrast, what you see is exactly as it appeared (somewhere between bouts of insignificant drizzle) on a day that Corey and I ate Chinese food, saw a rusty bridge, and reflections of Michigan Avenue in a café window.
As always, thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting, and I hope you’re all having a great week.
Comments (25)
jocko500
this is super. it might get up and dance. maybe if a earthquake hits. one did hit a few weeks ago. i do not know if you feeled it.
MrsRatbag
Good idea to leave it alone; it's so strong and stark on its own, it would be a shame to alter it. Excellent POV and colouring on this capture!
blinkings
I see an alien foreign ship...and not a friendly one!
beachzz
Calder did things on such a grand scale and this is beyond great!! I wish I'd been able to see it when I was there, guess that'll happen on my next trip. Flamingoes are my favorite bird, and this one tops all of em!! Wonderful shot, Chip, and as always your stories simply add to the pleasure I take in looking at your works!!
Sepiasiren
You know what--I love red in an under toned pic--not only does it "pop" it really draws in the viewer--it is sultry sexy color and tells us a lot about the mood of the artists, Calder in this case. Once again you nailed the imagery and feel and for that I say--bravo!
whaleman
It would make an excellent anchor if connected at the right point, ha ha! I do like the color of the piece, but I would have liked to have seen the art unchanged but with your talents liberally applied to the background. Perhaps even the other way around.
minos_6
Modern sculpture often impresses by its sheer mass, especially when you can walk under it as you describe. This piece does have a somewhat clumsy yet peculiar grace, and you've captured and cropped to perfection. The idea of this being a flamenco dancer is quite romantic. Perhaps the artist would kick himself over a missed opportunity should he hear of it!
kgb224
Outstanding capture my friend.Must say it doesn't look like a Flamingo to me.
durleybeachbum
I had NO idea that Calder had made non-mobiles! I think this is great, and it is definitely a flamingo with its head buried in the water. The contrast with that flat black Mies van der Rohe inhuman monster of a building is wonderful..at last a decent use for that style of architecture..a backdrop to something exciting! (Can you tell I'm not exactly a fan of the International Style of building?) SUPERB pic..I really feel the scale.
Alex_Antonov
Remarkable work!
njb2000
The size and the colour have real impact!
Meisiekind
What a monstrocity... I cannot recall seeing this when I visited Chicago back in 2007! But then again - it was mostly foggy!!! Wonderful and popping art against the drap buildings and a great capture Chip!
flavia49
beautiful!!
thecytron
Great shot!
jac204
Great photo of a great piece of art.
jmb007
belle sculture!!
sandra46
i believe that you were right not to postwork this shot. It has the quality of commercial and technical ads, which possibly is a tribute to the artist's intention in some way. Stupendous capture!
shvrkidd
I went to Chicago the other weekend and tried to get a picture of this.. Didn't work out so well for me..
faroutsider
Wonderful, exotic flamenco flamingo! You've really captured her beauty (all 50 tons of her).
DAVER2112
I think it's a really interesting piece of art and you've captured it quite nicely. I like the way you write as well. :)
danapommet
This gets a "super shot" rating for the combination of a fantastic capture AND no people in the photo. I've seen this in movies and travel folders but never like this. Well done my friend. I posted another section of the building whose arch that I posted before. Dana
auntietk
Wowser! Okay ... I'm looking at a map. I only missed this by about 2-1/2 blocks last fall. What a fabulous piece! I'd love to spend about half an hour there just photographing this from different angles. What fun! I love the way the color naturally pops against its surroundings. Can you imagine how many weirdo "Tarashots" I could get there? Amazing place!
KatesFriend
I can see how this would be a maddeningly awkward capture. But, the flamingo is very striking here contrasted against the city grays of the day. Though, when I look at this sculpture I think less of a flamingo and more of a spider on caffeine (like cocaine for arachnids). Sigh, I don't know much about art but I know what I like.
bmac62
Hi Chip. Saw this up on Tara's screen the other day. What an eye catcher. Does this huge "bird" keep the pigeons away? Silly me, I know pigeons go any d*%@ place they want to go:) Ever since photographing some of the outdoor art at the Nelson-Atkins Art Museum, I've said to myself that I'd like to go to any city and make a series on public art. This would make a fine piece for you to do exactly that. With your artistic background and knowledge, I'd really like to see what else you can find in Chicago like this. Maybe one day you'll do the same for us from Moscow:) I wonder what art has popped up there since the Soviet Union formally dissolved in 1991?
myrrhluz
Just as my mind has begun to react to this image (and I haven't read the narrative yet), I see that you have put up a now post. It's your lucky day, lol, for not only has my mind flat refused to leave here without commenting, it also is very firm on the subject of delaying reading of your new work. (My mind is a great fan of your work!) I remember this sculpture! I love the way the close crop and strong red dominate the image, and the way the buildings create a corner for it and form a contrast of square shapes and straight lines against its curves. Wonderful narrative! I enjoyed your story of your childhood misunderstanding. I like your version better too. There is a song about the Alamo that my sisters sang when I was very young. It has a line in it, "Santa Anna breached the walls." I thought it was "bleached the walls", and was puzzled but had a clear image of him out there white washing the Alamo.