Erwin Wurm "Big Kastenmann" Sculpture @ The Standard, New York

Known for his humorous take on formalist theories of art, contemporary Austrian sculptor Erwin Wurm was recently commissioned by The Standard, New York to produce a large-scale sculpture for the Manhattan hotel’s plaza. Entitled “Big Kastenmann” (“big box man”), the surrealist figure stands 18 feet tall and is comprised of cast aluminum alongside brushed metal legs and a polished body that appears sans head. Produced alongside Wurm’s New York gallery, Lehmann Maupin, and forged in Sussen, Germany’s Strassacker foundry, the work sees its torso partially coated in dripping pink enamel paint and is an enlarged version of Wurm’s “Kastenmann” from 2010. “Big Kastenmann” – the artist’s first piece of public art in New York City – stands alongside The Standard’s newly opened outdoor restaurant and will remain on display in the plaza through November 2, 2012.