It's Art: Rocking gazebo turns a few heads

IT'S ART 

Rocking gazebo turns a few heads

His aptly named work of art has been the talk of motorists along West Stadium Boulevard for the last few weeks.

By Tuesday, Mark Nielsen is hoping his “Conversation Piece” will be talk of an art show in Detroit.

Nielsen who lives at 912 W. Stadium Boulevard, designed and built the 17-foot-high structure of cedar,- laminated- plywood and copper in his driveway. It took him two months to make and is best described as a “rocking gazebo.”

"It’s a sculpture from the outside and lawn furniture from the inside,” Nielsen said of his pyramid-rocker. Nielsen was given a $1,500 stipend for the project after he submitted a proposal to an artist residency program in Detroit called Art On The Move.

Nielsen decided to call the structure “Conversation Piece” after he found it to be an object that can be talked about from the outside, and a place to have a conversation when inside.

It’s also been the talk of the neighborhood.

“It’s been a great way to meet my neighbors,” Nielsen said.

Mark Nielsen with his 17-foot-tall 'Conversation Piece.'