As I mentioned before in a post about Robert Ormerod, who also photographs pigeon keepers, I really love pictures of pigeons and the people who make them a part of their lives. In Chris Arnade’s series especially, I think it’s great to see the diversity amongst these people, and also to read a little bit about the community their hobby creates.
Since I think most viewers can quickly tire of images of flocks of pigeons (personally, I could look at them forever), I am focusing more on portraits of pigeon keepers in this post. I am also including the captions the photographer gave each image on Flickr, because I feel this is something quite uncommon in the kind of series that I post here. As soon as I found out about this project, I spent a long while looking through all 76 photos and reading each caption. To me, it’s nice to see the photographer’s notes and anecdotes on what he learned about and the relationships he formed with his subjects.
From the artist’s statement: I first noticed the beautiful flocks of pigeons high above Maria Hernandez Park in Bushwick last summer. At the time I had no idea that they where part of an old sport. Brought over by the Italians, Bushwick used to have well over a hundred guys (yes all of them are guys) who kept pigeons on the roofs, now its only about twenty. Not raised to race ([that’s] another sport), they are simply collected and bred and then flown to highlight their beauty. These days, its mostly Dominican and Puerto Rican men; [every one] of them has been more than happy to show me their flocks. Kept in coops on various roofs, the pigeons are fed and flown almost daily. Once you view the flocks flowing and swirling high above Brooklyn, catching the shifting sunlight, you start to see the artistry involved.
Johnny, eighty six, has been keeping birds in Bushwick since he was a boy. Goodwin brought me to meet Johnny, who keeps his birds on one of Goodwins roofs. Asked why he gave Johnny the space for free, Goodwin said “he is a good person, and the birds are what keeps him happy now.” Climbing the ladder to the roof was a chore for me, but Johnny’s age does not seem to slow him down. He had a small collection, but they where all gorgeous.
More of Carlos. The pole and flag used to signal the flock is in his hand. He went out of his way to give my friend and myself a great show. His flocks where not as shy as others I have met, swarming and doing low loops around the rooftop.
Atop his coop. I have had trouble getting close up pictures, as they scatter when I am near.
Louis (tiny figure on right) using his flag to send the pigeons up for me and my friend. Tiny shadow of me on blue tarp to right.
Zay was cleaning out his coops when I was on the roof, so all the pigeons were out, up in the sky and crowding every surface. He keeps pigeons with his friend Mooney.
Delone showing me his pigeon catching skills. I could post another three pictures of Delone, a natural in front of the camera and smart as a whip as well.
The Bronx pigeon guys are more scattered than those in Brooklyn, but if there is a center its East Tremont. Thats where I found Jesus, in front of a stand alone house nestled amongst huge bulking apartment buildings. An architectural anachronism, a rural puerto rican home, complete with chickens, in the heart of the Bronx. Jesus was returning with a captured pigeon, bringing it to the coops he keeps on a nearby apartment building where he is the super.
Brother in his inside the apartment coop.
Shy, 46, born and raised in the projects of East New York, fell in love with pigeons when he was six. “I was always watching them. I got sent to a camp one summer and spent most of the time watching the birds.” In his late teens he got into drugs, dealing and smoking crack. It ended with eleven years in jail for manslaughter, the result of a deal gone bad. He was released in 99 and has been clean since. “Jail changed me. I saw guys in there who ain’t ever coming out. Ever.” Now he does some odd construction jobs, spending most of his free time on the roof of an abandoned building where he keeps his birds. “I got no need for attitude anymore. That’s all gone. I am just happy sitting up here tending to my birds. I aint got much else, but when I am up here I can be happy and hope something better comes the next day.” When I asked him how he wanted to be described he said, “simple and humble. Didn’t used to be, and it landed me in lots of trouble. Now I am content.”
Visit artist's site: flickr.com/photos/arnade
Found via: Feature Shoot
Posted December 16th, 2013
