Plastic Pink Flamingoes

For me, Plastic Pink Flamingoes are a symbol of so much that is good in life that it is impossible to pass by them, gracefully strutting across a sunny lawn, and not feel good. They are always a splash of color on an otherwise dreary canvas. They are something David Hockney might have intended to include in many of his paintings from the late sixties. I'm guessing they are just out of frame in such works as A Bigger Splash or A Lawn Sprinkler.

When I walk up to the house passed Ping and Ming, our two original Don Featherstone Plastic Pink Flamingoes, there are a few thoughts that always pop into mind. One is that it's time to loosen the tie. And another is that it's time to mix some martinis and throw on some Les Baxter or some Art Pepper on the record player.

Plastic Pink Flamingoes evoke something special. They are a symbol of leisure, of hot climates and a tropical way of life. They tap into the brilliance of Mid Century Modern design, which is so often infused with subtle hints of the East, Tropicalia, and the post war pop cultural phenomenon of Exotica.

The original Plastic Pink Flamingo was envisioned by the Massachusetts sculptor Don Featherstone in 1957, and became the piece he is most known for. He even won the Ig Nobel Prize for Art (a sort of parody of the Nobel Prize Award, but no less special in that it celebrates a significant impact) for his flamingoes, which have become ubiquitous adornments affecting good vibes in yards across the world. Whether its poolside on a bright green lawn or in a foot of snow, there are few things as uplifting as Plastic Pink Flamingoes.