updated 12:50 p.m. ET July 28, 2009
PARIS - French artist Jean-Baptiste Seckler is sculpting a public tribute(礼物) to the late Michael Jackson in front of Paris' Pompidou(蓬皮杜) Center.
Seckler says he wanted to sculpt outdoors to break "the silence and the concentration" required by sculpting or painting. He says a public place is appropriate for a sculpture of the pop star because Jackson's death "affected everyone, whether you like him or not."
Seckler was working Tuesday on the likeness. He began the project July 25, four weeks after Jackson's death.