Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Anton van Dalen's pigeons, connecting us back to nature above Avenue A

[Photo from January 2012 by Shawn Chittle]

In case that you haven't seen this... Serena Solomon at DNAinfo has a nice feature today on longtime East Village artist Anton van Dalen and his flock of snow-white pigeons that are a common site in the skies above Avenue A between East 10th Street and East 11th Street.

"The flying is spectacular, and of course it connects you back to nature in a way that many of us in the city don't have," said van Dalen, who moved across the Atlantic from Holland as a young boy, following World War II.

Van Dalen, who has always felt a deep connection to his birds, took up pigeon keeping after learning it from his father and his brothers when they lived in Holland.

Check out the video here too. Find Anton's art here.
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7 comments:

  1. The Wind Beneath Their WingsOctober 2, 2013 at 5:05 PM

    So, pigeons can be beautiful birds!

    (Looks like the "Rats with Wings" folks here are on vacation or maybe just uncharacteristically silent.)

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  2. scottimanOctober 2, 2013 at 6:16 PM

    I was on my roof on 2nd btw A and B on Tuesday afternoon when the sky was so clear and the sun shining brightly. Then I kept seeing these pure white doves circle the neighborhood from the park to Houston and back. The low sun lit them up perfectly. They almost glowed neon white. Glad to find out that they were part of an art project. Very surreal and beautiful at the same time. Hope the Red Kite in TSP doesn't get them...

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  3. AnonymousOctober 2, 2013 at 9:01 PM

    if you have ever had a chance to spend any time with Anton it is hard to tell which is more beautiful, the person or the birds.

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  4. AnonymousOctober 2, 2013 at 9:04 PM

    I often see people looking up at the birds and when I do I tell them the story of the person behind them. It is a shame that many of the new transient residents of the neighborhood never look up from their devices to see what is around them and who is around them. I am very grateful that this man lives amongst us and treats us all to this beautiful display.

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  5. GojiraOctober 2, 2013 at 11:26 PM

    I always stop and watch them when I see the birds wheeling about, and invariably I am given weird looks by the bros and hos going by, since I have my head up in the air and not bent over a phone getting useless messages.

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  6. scottimanOctober 21, 2013 at 3:48 PM

    Been watching pigeons circle this summer from a roof on 2nd btw A and B and always assumed they were the one's EVGrieve talks about from up from up around 10 or 11th st. But today I saw a guy on a roof around 4th btwn A and B who seemed to be whistling and waving his arms to to control the birds and make them circle. Anyone know if this Anton or some other guy?

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  7. EV GrieveOctober 21, 2013 at 3:57 PM

    @ scottiman

    Not sure who this is... it is not Anton, though

    ReplyDelete

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