A Big Borofsky for Baltimore

Male/Female (other images here and here), a 51' tall hollow-core aluminum sculpture by Jonathan Borofsky, is taking shape in front of Penn Station here in Baltimore (see this article, too). As with any public art it's a love-it-or-not situation, and when the art is 51' tall and occupies a prominent location, everyone has an opinion. My only issue is that I would have liked to see a local artist take on the project (me, me, me), but otherwise I like it. It's a big bold statement.

Last night while sitting in my car waiting for a train to come in, I noticed in the mirror a transit cop walking my way. I immediately pulled my pants up: no, no, just kidding. With all the security these days (asshole terrorists), the cops like to keep you moving, and this guy is usually one of the stricter of the group. Fully prepared to move on, I rolled the window down and the officer said, "You can leave your car unattended if you like and go inside to wait. I don't want you to have to sit out here an' look at that eyesore." Yeah, some art critics carry a gun, too.

Mark Barry (www.markbarryportfolio.com) is an artist working in Baltimore.