I found Tina Piña Trachtenburg, known as Motherpigeon (motherpigeon.com), perched next to a tree in Union Square. She sat on a crate and was surrounded by a flock of birds.
In any other circumstance, this would have a been a pretty normal sight to come across in New York City (Check out pigeon man - ripple.co/read/new-york/paul-the-birdman-s-loyal-flock-of-nyc-pigeons-184pi661), but none of these birds were alive or moving. Upon closer examination, I realized they were stuffed animals.
“Did you make all of these?” I asked her.
She replied with a terse head nod and a smile, “Yes I did.”
There must have been over 30 birds in her collection. Motherpigeon, a Brooklyn-based artist and animal advocate, is well known in New York City for creating these soft animal sculptures out of wire, yarn, acrylic felt and recycled clothes.
She is especially infatuated with pigeons, which is why she carries a sack of birdfeed with her wherever she goes. Although many New Yorkers refer to them as “rats with wings,” Motherpigeon fell in love with the birds after moving to the city in the late '80s.
In an effort to get people to also appreciate their beauty, she began creating pigeon sculptures and setting them up on sidewalks as street art.
“Look at a pigeon the same way that you would look at a rose, or a bed of wild flowers,” she writes on her website. “They are beautiful and unique, with each one being different from the rest. It is a privilege to have them around us.”
In keeping with her mission, Motherpigeon now sets up her “outstallions” in locations throughout New York City. On most Mondays and Fridays, she can be found in Union Square.
Her pigeon sculptures are also up for “adoption” – or purchase – for anyone looking to take home a new, winged friend.
