McClain was a 23-year-old from Aurora who died in August 2019 after officers with the Aurora Police Department put him in a now-banned chokehold and administered him a dose of ketamine in an effort to subdue him, even though he had not committed a crime.

McClain’s death led to protests in the Denver area, and was subject to national attention, especially after the killing of George Floyd.

“I just wanted to make a piece that was dedicated to Elijah McClain,” said Reed Bmore, the artist behind the sculpture. “I remember thinking about the story a few months ago and just being heartbroken.” A similar sculpture hangs near 10th and Broadway.

Reed doesn’t consider his art vandalism, despite what some critics say. “It doesn’t hurt anybody, and it doesn’t hurt the electrical lines.”

He and some friends have been driving across the country and camping during the pandemic. Reed, who is from Baltimore—hence the Bmore surname—says the goal of his art is to play on the treasure-finding aspects of public art, unlike murals or graffiti which are more easy to spot. “Seeing something that you wouldn’t normally see in the regular context of things, and actually owning that experience,” he explains. “Almost like a little secret.”

“A lot of my sculptures are forced perspectives, so you have to be at a certain angle to see them anyways,” he says. This allows for people to be in the “right place at the right time” to see his sculptures in public. “I think that’s kind of the beauty of my artwork,” he said.

His message? “Give yourself allowance to appreciate things around you. Stop to smell the flowers every once in a while. There is more out there to see.”

You can find more of Reed’s wire art on his Instagram page.