Salt Lake’s Newest Public Art Pays Tribute To A Wild Story
Downtown Salt Lake City is home to some really great street art, but a new addition is more than a colorful mural; it tells a wonderful story of Utah’s own pet flamingo.
The mural features a bright pink flamingo standing atop gray, snowy mountains. It is located on the side of The Shop, a co-working space on 350 East and 400 South. One may take notice that the mural looks a little different based on where you are standing and the angle you are viewing from. According to the artist, Phillip Adams, the intention was to make the flamingo appear to move and dance. In the art world, you’d call it lenticular.
Adams, a Philadelphia-based artist, used acrylic paint on the mural. He spent four weeks in a crane painting the massive art piece. He is a well-known artist in Pennsylvania, featured in many places including the Philadelphia at Seraphin Gallery, Arcadia University and the Institute of Contemporary Art. His public art, like the one in Utah’s Capital City, is featured nationally and internationally, most recently in Montreal, Canada.
“I believe that art should be accessible to everyone, and doing public art projects like this allows for people to engage in moments of wonder, beauty, and contemplation,” added Philips. “For me, public art can do so many things, like bring unknown or little known stories to life, or it can simply beautify. It can be layered and complex or a simple gesture. At the core, I think public art brings beauty and a deeper relationship and awareness with the place and the people that live there.”
The official name of the mural is “Return of Pink Floyd”, but who is Pink Floyd the Flamingo… Here’s the story...
Pink Floyd, a South African native, escaped from the Tracy Aviary in 1988. The Tracy Aviary is in Salt Lake City’s famous Liberty Park. After his great escape, Pink Floyd lived in the Great Salt Lake until at least 2005, which was the last time he was spotted.
When you think about it, the Great Salt Lake is actually a perfect spot for a Flamingo who loves to munch on brine shrimp and hang out with seagulls. Pink Floyd made his way to a few different reservoirs in Utah and Idaho during the summer.
“This playful homage to Pink Floyd links a unique and rare piece of local history with the breathtaking landscapes around Salt Lake City, specifically showcasing Sundial Peak in the Wasatch Mountains.”
As the artist stated, the mural features a gorgeous landscape of snow-capped mountains behind the bright pink bird, providing excellent contrast. Sundial Peak, featured in the piece is one of many peaks in the Wasatch Mountains that you can see from Salt Lake City. You can access the gorgeous mountain top from the Lake Blanche trailhead in Big Cottonwood Canyon. With that many quintessential Utah locations, it’s the perfect mountain to feature in a Salt Lake community art piece.
If art is your thing, the inside of Pink Floyd’s building is a community working space with a gallery featuring local-award winning artists. You can get a sneak peek of the art here, but if you’d like to see it in person, you can go for a scheduled gallery stroll or attend one of the many events hosted in Pink Floyd’s place.