Giant Steel Hockey Player
Newark, New Jersey
This blocky titan reminds us of a similar angular giant, Miles the Monster, who defends the state of Delaware. Perhaps its disjointedness is meant to convey how a human being feels after several years of battering by pro hockey players.
"The Iron Man" is the centerpiece of Championship Plaza, a slab of Newark formerly occupied by a parking lot and a wig store, next to the arena where the New Jersey Devils play hockey. He stands 22 feet high and weighs three tons. The inhabitants of Newark, a town with a tough reputation, seem unfazed by their new mega-human mascot, or at least no one seemed to notice it when we were around.
The Iron Man was built of stainless steel by a Devils fan (also a professional sculptor). He personally pitched the idea to one of the team's owners because they'd attended the same exclusive prep school.
The Iron Man sat in the sculptor's mother's New Jersey garage for over a year before the plaza was finally ready in September 2009.