Artist Michael Kalish Creates Portrait of Muhammad Ali Using Punching Bags

This artist's tribute to Muhammad Ali floats like a butterfly and swings like a ... punching bag.

Using about 1,300 speed bags, five miles of stainless steel cables and two miles of aluminum tubing, artist Michael Kalish has strung up a massive homage to boxing's biggest legend.

The installation -- titled "reALIze" -- uses punching bags to form a 23-foot-tall portrait of the famed fighter's face.

From nearly every angle, the giant work looks like a mess of poles, wires and hanging speed bags.

But from one perspective, it all comes together to form Ali's face.

According to Kalish's website, the 38-year-old Los Angeles artist decided to create the piece after Lonnie and Muhammad Ali approached him about one of his works of art using license plates as a medium.

Oyler Wu Collaborative / realizeali.com

Artist and sculptor Michael Kalish used punching bags to create a large-scale homage to boxer Muhammad Ali titled "reALIze."

"I love turning ordinary objects into extraordinary works of art," Kalish said in a statement. "This is an opportunity of a lifetime and I'm honored I could create this monument to pay homage to such an incredible man."

Kalish modeled the fighter's face off a picture of Ali snapped by British photographer Michael Brennan and assembled the large-scale work with the help of the Los Angeles architecture firm Oyler Wu Collaborative, the Los Angeles Times reports.

"reALIze" will be officially unveiled on March 25 in downtown Los Angeles, and Kalish says he hopes the work will be exhibited in other cities as well.

Boxing fans and art lovers are encouraged to check out the large-scale installation at Nokia Plaza until April 9.

But they won't get a chance to take a swing at any of the bags -- touching the work is prohibited.

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