Geekosystem: You guys have all heard of the Rubber Duck project by now, right? It’s this series of 40 foot tall floating sculptures that have been cropped up on the shores of Amsterdam, Osaka, Sydney, Sao Paulo, and Hong Kong since 2007 or so. Now it’s making it’s way up the Allegheny river in Pittsburgh. No one is safe from the horror.
4 comments:
When I went to see the duck a little while ago, it was heading toward evening and The Point had all sorts of Pittsburghers enjoying the sight. The giant duck, for me, did exactly what the artist wanted it to do; it made me very happy, which carried over for the rest of the night. However, it definitely would have been a very different atmosphere if I had visited by myself at two in the morning. A giant floating fake animal could definitely prove to be quite frightening at this time of night, a time when our imaginations take flight and reality is replaced by a distortion of the truth. My mind tends to change everything it sees after a certain time of night has passed, especially when childhood comforts don't quite appear as they usually do.
I agree with Emma on this one. The duck could be terrifying to see if you had no clue it was there, or if you were seeing it by yourself during the wee hours of the morning. I have not seen the duck in person as of right now. I don't know what is keeping me from going, but I almost of no desire to see this giant floating duck. Even though I have a love for ducks, going downtown to see a duck sitting in the water doesn't seem like it would "change me" in any way. This is not to say that art has to "change" you.
Having seen the giant rubber ducky on its opening night at the FoF bridge party, and then later that night as it was towed down to near the point, it is a very surreal sight. It makes the rest of the city look like the size of a toy model in comparison. I swear, the giant rubber ducky and the Susan Tsu scale project could not have coincided at a batter time.
The rubber duck is an interesting piece, and Point State Park is one of the best places they could have chosen to dock it. Especially with the Mister Rogers statue, Heinz Field and PNC Park as backdrops. I ventured downtown last weekend to check it out and at first I didn't think that I would be particularly moved by it and it's true I probably wasn't. But it was enough to make me stop and think and I certainly found it to be an interesting piece, and that's enough. It's enough to get you there and give the artist and individuals behind the work a chance to spread their message, and that's art. Plus, who doesn't love a giant rubber duck...
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