We're intrigued with this sculpture, a somewhat pop-artish cluster of puffy trees on Flatbush Avenue across from Prospect Park. The work, which we'd guess dates to the 1970s or early 1980s, certainly denotes the sylvan wonders that lie nearby. But it's also a reminder of the woodsy origins of Flatbush. We must tip our hats to our Dutch forebears, to whom we can trace this word. As explained by the Parks Department, the Dutch "vlacke bos," or flat woodland, eventually morphed into our English-sounding Flatbush. More here and here on the origins.
-- Rolando Pujol
