Vermilion brilliance amid steel and glass. That is the Flamingo sculpture. It is a creation by the American artist Alexander Calder. The Flamingo is a 53-foot-tall stabile. It graces Federal Plaza in Chicago.
The United States General Services Administration commissioned it. It was unveiled to the public on October 25 1974. Calder’s signature suggests it was constructed in 1973.
The Flamingo sculpture weighs 50 tons. It is composed entirely of steel. Its vermilion color is now known as Calder red. Calder chose this specific color. He wanted to offset the black and steel surroundings. Nearby office buildings include the Kluczynski Federal Building. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe designed that building. The stabile is an art form that Calder pioneered. It stands completely stationary. This contrasts with a mobile that moves with air currents. The Flamingo received a fresh paint job in 2012. It retained its characteristic color.
Calder’s international reputation led to his commission. The plaza needed arching forms and dynamic surfaces. A large-scale Calder stabile could provide this. The Flamingo was the first artwork commissioned. It was commissioned by the General Services Administration. This was under the federal Percent for Art program. This program allocates a percentage of a project’s budget to public art. Calder unveiled the model for the Flamingo on April 23 1973. The unveiling took place at the Art Institute of Chicago. The sculpture was presented to the public for the first time. This happened on October 25 1974. At the same time Calder’s Universe mobile was unveiled at the Sears Tower now the Willis Tower. The city proclaimed that day Alexander Calder Day. A circus parade marked the occasion.
Despite its massive size people can walk underneath the Flamingo. They can also walk around it. This allows viewers to perceive it in human scale. The Flamingo’s shape alludes to the natural and animal realm. This contrasts with literal sculptures from previous decades.
Calder’s structure exemplifies the constructivist movement. This movement was first popularized in Russia. Constructivism refers to sculptures made from joined smaller pieces.
A maquette of the stabile was once displayed. It was inside the Loop Station post office in Federal Plaza. It now resides in the Art Institute of Chicago’s Modern Wing.
The Flamingo stands tall as an iconic piece of Chicago art history. It represents the city in popular media. The Flamingo features prominently in a scene from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
Alexander Calder’s Flamingo injects color into the banal construction. It adds color to 1900s downtowns. Calder once said “That others grasp what I have in mind seems unessential at least as long as they have something else in theirs”. Step closer and experience the visceral presence of the Flamingo. Feel its abstract qualities. Imagine it moving with the crowd ready to take flight at any moment. It is more than just steel. The Flamingo is a vibrant testament to art’s power. It transforms public spaces. It inspires the imagination.