on this day...

On this day, October 25, in 1974, Alexander Calder unveiled his Flamingo sculpture in Chicago’s Federal Plaza. Surrounded by towering, dark government skyscrapers, Calder transformed the plaza with his monumental sculpture, its vibrant red bringing a burst of color to the somber landscape.The curved forms offered a striking contrast to the rigid lines and angular geometry of the surrounding architecture. By leaving the sculpture’s base wide open, Calder created a walk-through space that invited people to move through and experience the artwork from within. In doing so, he turned an austere public plaza into an open-air encounter with art, bringing color, movement, and human connection to the heart of Chicago.

And on a smaller scale, here I am in my "Calder Red" raincoat at the Art Institute of Chicago where Alexander Calder unveiled the official model for The Flamingo on  April 23, 1973. It's right by Marc Chagall's America's Windows.