Mr. Organisak, 53, of Brighton Heights played a key part in bringing the giant yellow rubber duck to Pittsburgh, an attraction that drew thousands to Point State Park and the city’s rivers in the fall of 2013. The rubber duck was the creation of Florentijn Hofman, a Dutch artist.
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The existence of large scale inflatables as art pieces amuses me very much. The type of attention they draw simply due to the sheer size and iconic value (for the rubber duck in this case) is enormous and playful. Reading this article reminds me of the quite foreseeable incidents of impostor rubber ducks popping up in harbors across international waters. In China a few years back, multiple fakes began appearing and spurring absurd competition between which location had the "better duck." Some people even argued that the yellow rubber duck promoted green practices which frankly, is ironic, considering the fact that the sculpture is essentially what is a floating piece of plastic.
There is another artist named Paul McCarthy who made several inflatable sculptures that grabbed the attention of the public (and hilariously outraged them). He erected a large, green, vaguely tree-shaped sculpture in the middle of a Parisian square. Why was this a source of humiliation and outrage, you say? It's because in more ways than one, this 78-ft sculpture appropriately named Tree resembled a massive butt plug.
My connection between these two incidents lies in the fact that they both brought together crowds of different expectations and in both cases, hilarity ensued.
This past summer, I worked for Flyspace Productions, which works with the Cultural Trust. I had an amazing experience and was able to see a lot of what the Trust does in action. Specifically, I worked on the Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival, International JazzLive Festival, and Cosmopolitan Pittsburgh. All of these events invited the public to learn about the arts and culture happening in our city and around the globe. I personally think that the Trust is doing great things in Pittsburgh and it’s sad to see that someone that has lead such wonderful initiatives as the Festival of Firsts (giant inflatable rubber duck) and the Broadway series. I have enjoyed these events first hand and experienced how they brought people together. I specifically remember the rubber duck installation and seeing people flock to the renovated Point State Park and people admiring art is such a new, uncommon way. I wish Mr. Organisak the best of luck in his retirement and thank him for his talents to the city of Pittsburgh.
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