By Kim Bousquet

Staff Writer The Daily Nonpareil

Jonathan Borofsky sees things on a larger scale than most.

To some, art is merely something nice to look at.

To Borofsky, it’s a message. And when Borofsky makes art, he delivers a big message.

With its three interconnected human silhouettes, Borofsky said, “‘Molecule Man’ is a
symbol for humanity coming together, merging together to be something greater.”

The large aluminum sculpture is expected to be completed today at its location hear
the Mid-America Center.

When Borofsky speaks of art, his passion for what it stands for and the possibilities of
what it can do is evident. The 68-year-old retains a soft Boston accent though he hasn’t
lived there in years, adding a slight “tough guy” sound to the artist with a calming
demeanor.

His work contains a spiritual element, not often recognizable at first. What he hopes to present is something “simple, so profound it’s simple.” Borofsky has said his aim in visual art is searching for a feeling of oneness and of just being happy to be alive.

“I’m looking for ways to bring peace to myself, and I think I can do that if I can bring peace to others,” said Borofsky in an interview for the magazine at his alma mater,
Carnegie Mellon University. “That’s a religious goal. If you don’t call it religion, call it a spiritual goal, call it just common sense. … I would have to say that God is a feeling – a feeling of everything being connected, all human beings, everything. It’s just all one
organic interacting whole.”

The work of Borofsky exposes a great deal of his character and psyche, at times
intensely personal with dream representations and at other times more idiosyncratic by
numbering his works (based upon his commitment to counting) rather than signing them.
His work crosses a myriad of mediums, from painting, documentary film making and music to, of course, sculpting.

Even as a child, Borofsky just wanted to make great art.

“I wanted to make things I hadn’t seen before, things that relate to humanity,” said Borofsky, which was something he hadn’t seen much of as student. “I’m driven by interest in how we relate to each other, how we hurt each other and why.”

Borofsky received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Carnegie Mellon University in 1964 and his Master of Fine Arts from Yale University in 1966 with time in between studying in France. He was a longtime resident of California and now resides in Maine.

He made a name for himself creating art installations for gallery shows, but he eventually
left the gallery scene in 1992, finding more interest for him in “outdoor interaction.” He’s stayed busy ever since, symbolically bringing culture to cities seeking it.

“Every culture has …art to represent its thoughts and feelings,” said Borofsky, citing
ancient Roman and Greek times to present day. “It’s the poetic part of the culture.”

And by placing public art in a city, it creates “a feeling of a cultural city,” said Borofsky.

Art enhances a city’s image, according to J.Todd Graham, executive director and CEO of
Iowa West Foundation and its initiative, Iowa West Public Art. “And we think it’ll have an economic impact. It’ll be an attraction.”

Borofsky’s “Molecule Man” is at its specific location for a reason, according to the IWPA’s Master Plan For Public Art, said Graham.

“This is one of our highest ranking sites,” said Graham, in terms of its visibility and the
attractions it’s near. The statue near the MAC is located near the Interstate 80 and 29 corridor. Nearly 13 million people pass through the area each year. As a civic center for the city, Graham said IWPA thought it’d be a good idea to have art and culture established in the area, making access to public art within five minutes from the front door of the MAC a goal.

As an emerging regional destination, Graham said IWPA wanted something on a very large scale.

“Jonathan was at the top of our list,” said Graham, saying the high caliber art was needed for the area.

With his metal sculptures sometimes reaching 100 feet high, as well as a certain amount of name recognition having artwork placed around the world, the pick was obvious. The Bluffs’ “Molecule Man” will be 50 feet from top to bottom, far larger than Los Angeles’ “Molecule Man” (32 feet), but smaller than Berlin’s version, reaching 100 feet.

Borofsky’s at the top, apparently, of other cities’ lists, too. It’s a busy time in his career.
His stop in the Bluffs is sandwiched between work in Beijing and Seoul, South Korea.

While the area around the MAC could become a destination for public art fans, Borofsky sees things a different way.To him, the exciting thing about public art is that people see it throughout their normal everyday lives.

“I like the context of people just passing by,” said Borofsky.

Even more appealing is that those who wouldn’t go to a museum are exposed to art
in the process.

“Molecule Man” is the latest of public art pieces to go up in Council Bluffs as a part of
the community-driven IWPA’s Public Art Master Plan. Founded in 2004, IWPA’s plan
designates more than 50 public art sites in the city.

Within the plan, public art will be deliberately distributed to make art easily accessible.
The art is also placed in areas to serve as gateways into the city, signaling travelers that Council Bluffs is a cultural destination.

Graham said the “vision of the master plan is that art and culture become a part of everyday life.”

When Borofsky heard about the grand vision of the city’s plan, he seemed impress. “Something very unique is going on here,” said Borofsky.

His “Molecule Man” is just the start.