Giant Peaches and Pears at the High Museum

ATLANTA—A 60-pound pear is to be installed at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta on November 12th. Made from reinforced plastic, the enormous fruit is part of a larger pop-art sculpture by the husband-wife team of Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, according to today's New York Times. The couple has been creating large, whimsical sculptures for American cities for decades.

Called informally Peaches and Pears, the work is a still life, of sorts, with 18 pieces of fruit. It's also a reference to 19th century novelist Honore de Balzac, "who hailed from the abundant wine country of the Loire Valley, and a French lawn bowling game."

The deputy director of the High Museum, Philip Verre, says the cost of the Balzac/Petanque sculpture is a "1 million-plus." 8.5 tons of sand will be added next month to install the sculpture.

"The way it is set up on the terrace could not be more beautiful," said Van Bruggen during an interview from the couple's New York studio. "I'm not necessarily preferring peaches over pears, but now the piece is situated near Peachtree. That's a very interesting new connotation."