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Massive Bright Pink Sculpture Is an 'Instant Icon' in LIC, City Says

"The Sunbather," a 4,000-pound bronze work by artist Ohad Meromi, was installed on a traffic median at the intersection of 43rd Avenue and Jackson Avenue.
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Department of Cultural Affairs

LONG ISLAND CITY — A controversial bright pink sculpture that drew criticism for its color and $515,000 price tag now has a permanent place on Jackson Avenue.

"The Sunbather," a 4,000-pound bronze work by artist Ohad Meromi, was installed over the weekend on a traffic median at the intersection of 43rd Avenue, according to city officials.

The bubble-gum pink sculpture, which the city calls an "instant icon for the Long Island City neighborhood," stands more than 8 feet tall and 10 feet wide, and depicts a reclining human figure described by the artist as a "generalized body at rest."

Paid for with funding from a street improvement project completed in 2010, the sculpture was commissioned under the Department of Cultural Affairs' Percent for Art program, which uses one percent of the budget from certain city construction projects for public art.

But plans for the work were initially met with some online criticism, particularly about the sculpture's color. Someone erected their own wooden sculpture on Jackson Avenue, with a sign calling The Sunbather's $515,000 budget a "misuse of our tax dollars."

The controversy over the piece prompted City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer to introduce a bill that would require more public input on Percent for Art projects.

In a statement sent out Monday, Cultural Affairs Commissioner Tom Finkelpearl praised the work.

"Public art is so important to New York City," he said. "Whether it's joyous or somber, large or small, traditional sculpture or an innovative, interactive work, public art has the power to enhance our civic space and make us see our city with new eyes."