urban landscape Archives

The Pigeons of New York

My visit to High Line Park provided a leisurely perspective of the city, enhanced by the breezy conditions. A highlight was a massive pigeon statue, titled “Dinosaur” by artist Iván Argote.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post on Urban Landscape, I thoroughly enjoyed visiting High Line Park. It’s such a fantastic way to get different view of the city in a more unhurried fashion. It may have been rather breezy during my Sunday exploration, but that just added to the fascinating vistas.

Here’s one that really caught my attention…

Yes, there is a gigantic, hyper-realistic pigeon statue on the High Line; and it is titled “Dinosaur”. It’s a pigeon with the size of a Tyrannosaurus Rex! This sculpture was create by Iván Argote, an artist who lives and works in Paris, France. A great description of this project can be found at this link. The video is worth watching!

The other thought that crossed my mind when I saw this pigeon was the B-side of Elton John’s Daniel release: Skyline Pigeon.

A View from 24

A view from the 24th floor, reaching across avenues and streets toward a landscape of structural giants.

I’m making a short visit to New York City, where I am always intrigued by the vistas. Being surrounded by skyscrapers gives me a sense of being in an otherworldly landscape, as their size and angles appear beyond what feels human.

So here’s a view from my hotel room…

A landscape of angles, juxtaposition of directional language, as if it is looking to outdo their neighbors. Each is built to impress, make a statement of the importance of what is happening inside each edifice. If these structures could speak they might tell us epic sagas of great achievement, or would they?

A New York Moment

Pigeons competing for my lunch with a backdrop of yellow taxis…that’s New York!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art to attend a guided tour by famed Egyptologist, Dr. Colleen Darnell. The tour was fantastic, as getting the amount of background detail that Dr. Darnell provides is priceless. And, of course, the collection of artifacts at the Met is truly special.

So I captured a rather NYC moment outside the museum…

As I was having a quick bit for lunch (Nathan’s hot dog), there were a couple of competitors for my food. And in true pigeon fashion they gave me a cold shoulder when I tried to photograph them. Does it get more New York than this?

All in all, it was a great day, even though my legs are telling me I walked way too much, and Amtrak was riddled with delays.