Zen and the Art of Madison Square.

I have a dream and that dream involves public sculpture.  I know, a lot of people think public sculpture is a waste of space and money.  But I think life is better and more fun when we're all engaged with things that surprise us.  That's why my dream involves major public Art works right here in Salt Lake City.

Public art is never better than at Madison Square Park in New York City.  Last time I was in NYC I experienced Antony Gormley's stunning installation Event Horizon.  This time it was Jaume Plensa's wondrous sculpture Echo. 

Plensa rocketed to public Art fame with his lovely, giant Crown Fountain in Chicago.  And this work is equally as engaging.

The work is based on the artist's nine-year-old neighbor.  The 3D image has been distorted digitally and then rendered as a 44-foot tall monument.  I love how even in person, I felt like I was looking at a Photoshopped image.  I'm still not sure how the artist accomplished that.

What may be most striking about the experience is how calming this work is, even among the chaos and cacophony of Madison Square.