Artist's ear sculpture on NYC wall turns heads and opens eyes

This ear poking out from a brick wall was created by artist Michael Beitz. He made this wonderful street art, along with other Brick Pieces, in 2001 in New York by casting his own body parts.

Here's what the artist has to say about his Brick Pieces:

I began to make up the Brick Pieces when I was living in Brooklyn, NY, several years ago. I replaced missing bricks found in buildings with new handmade bricks containing small body parts, which were cast from my own  body, as a form of three-dimensional graffiti or a type of quiet public intervention. The intention of this work is to offer a type of moment to reflect on our own bodies as part of the city's structure.

The subtlety in the way that Beitz's ear blends in so seamlessly with the bricks of the building makes it so much fun to notice. Walking by a building and seeing a little body part poking out would make my day much better.

(Image used with permission)