This past spring, I walked the streets of New York City, admiring the outdoor art.
One piece interested me in particular: Shaved Portions by Chakaia Booker.
Beside the statue, something caught my eye.
A pigeon, possibly dead.
I walked closer to inspect.
Yup, dead.
The pigeon’s eyes were open, staring at me. I imagined the bird thinking: “I’M UPSET, I’M NAKED, AND I’M DEAD.”
I’ve never related to anything more in my entire life.
A young girl stopped beside me. She pointed at the pigeon…
…and gestured a slit throat.
Recounting the events to my husband, I tried to explain why the pigeon and the girl stood out to me.
Iván Argote’s Dinosaur appeared in New York City four months later.
Photo by ET Rodriguez
Pigeons make great art.
The 16-foot bird would have been funnier if it was facedown, dead, and looking pissed off though.