Many sculptors often have their work appraised because of the obvious talent that is required to depict a recognizable object. For instance, a sculpture of a naked human body is appreciated because of the exactness it portrays in size relations, forms, and angles and even perhaps the facial expression. However, Mel Kendrick's work exhibited in Madison Square park named "Markers" is unique in its abstract content. Viewers strain their eyes to recognize something, anything, a chair-like- shape or even a geometrical shape. But for the most part, these 10 foot tall blocks lack any exact representations, instead they appear to reveal only parts of a cube, or sphere, or pyramid, rarely ever showing the whole. 

As Joshua C. Taylor, author of Learning to Look,points out in large works one appreciates the actual difficulty required in simply carving a piece. (124) Mel Kendrick's blocks require an immense amount of man power since they are almost twice the height of an average person. Like Taylor explains large works often require a base, which each of the five Markers has. (126) Apart from admiring the weight (the blocks are made of cement) and the great height of this sculpture, I found the simplicity of the subject to be pleasant. For the most part, sculpture has been stereotyped into being complex and difficult; Kendrick's work defies these conventions. Beginning with only having the two most basic colors, black and white, I find that the work pokes fun at the 'traditional' purpose of sculpture of representing complexity. And even though, the Markers are just simple horizontal stripes, I find that they are inviting to look at. They require more than just a glance, but a stare. Hence, I find that Kendrick's work falls in the category of modern art and is worth a detour towards Madison Square Park.