Ballerina Clown

The renowned 30-foot-tall sculpture made of fiberglass, steel and aluminum, the Ballerina Clown, sitting atop a mixed use, residential and commercial building at the corner of Main Street and Rose Avenue in Venice was created in 1988 by Jonathan Borofsky for developer Harlan Lee. Its right leg was motorized to perpetually kick, but tenant complaints were lodged about mechanical noise and the plug was pulled in 1989. It was restarted for its 25th anniversary in 2014, but it’s rarely in operation.

Venice, Los Angeles County
Images by Andrew Schmidt