Cambridge Bird Art 'Distracting' To Some Drivers
CAMBRIDGE (CBS) - 700 Mylar birds are suspended over Cambridge Street right now. They'll be there until July - even if some people find them distracting.
The installation art is called "Flocks", and is the work of a huge team of people, led by artist Carolina Aragon.
WBZ-TV's Jim Armstrong reports
"I really wanted to get something up in the sky," explained the artist and Architecture professor. "I like to make things that have a life of their own."
In five different locations stretching a mile from Lechmere to Inman Square, "Flocks" is meant "emphasize the historic and contemporary socio-economic diversity of Cambridge by celebrating and studying the theme of migration," according to the artist's website.
The project was sanctioned by the Cambridge Arts Council more than a year ago, and since then the design team has worked closely with the city to achieve two goals: to make the art attractive and to make sure it's not a hazard.
"Obviously...I would not want anyone to get hurt," said Aragon.
And so far, no one has. But some people have complained that the metallic birds might distract drivers, or create too much of a glare and cause an accident.
Most people stopped on the street and asked to comment about the "Flocks" didn't see what all the fuss was about.
For her part, Aragon feels confident she and her team have gone out of their way to ensure public safety. She understands why people might be a bit apprehensive about the birds, but says she's happy to have people talking about them and about what they represent.
