He’s been floating up there in the middle of Boston’s skyline, looking pensive over a rectangular body of water in metallic blue, since September.
But now, the grey-and-white bare-chested figure in shorts – a conversation-starter of a public art piece on the iconic building formerly known as the Hancock Tower – is coming down.
“Last Day of the piece In Boston,” tweeted the artist behind it, who goes by the name JR.
Last Day of the piece In Boston … They started taking it down ? … pic.twitter.com/omvNDZCXLc
— JR (@JRart) April 19, 2016
It had an extended run up on the Boston landmark’s west-facing side.
The property owner had planned to take it down after six weeks, but kept it up for seven months “ due to positive feedback from the general public,” according to a statement from Boston Properties executive vice president Bryan Koop to The Boston Globe. RELATED: Hancock Tower art is “anonymous and mysterious” work from French artist The building, which is now called 200 Clarendon, last fall made the installation of the mural a piece of performance art itself.
It didn’t announce that crews would be setting up the unusual artwork – which the Globe reports is made of perforated vinyl – before it happened, and for a day kept the identity of the artist behind it a secret. Ever since the big reveal, it’s been hovering over half the city and greeting commuters on the Massachusetts Turnpike.
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“We are thrilled to have had JR temporarily use the building as a canvas for his thoughtful piece and thrilled to be engaging Bostonians in a conversation about public art,’’ Koop said in his statement.
