El Cap de Barcelona

Public art is almost always controversial - opinions seem to range from 'it's all a huge waste of money' to 'I can't get enough of it' with stops such as 'I don't get it' and 'It looks like a (fill in the blank)' along the way.

This pop art sculpture by American artist Roy Lichtenstein was commissioned for the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics.  It is titled 'El Cap de Barcelona'; in English 'The Head of Barcelona'.  If you look closely you'll see an interpretation of a female face.  The sculpture seems to pay homage to the images of Picasso and to the mosaic techniques employed by architect Antonio Gaudi; both of whom lived and worked in Barcelona.  The sculpture is right along the waterfront where the long street Via Laietana terminates and stands as a bright, iconic, whimsical and majestic element.