A Dallas artist is taking the theft of his modernist sculpture in stride, trying to see humor where most would see only a petty theft.

Travis Lamothe’s 8x6 foot metal sculpture was expected to debut outside the closed – languages gallery in Fort Worth this weekend but after being installed Friday night it was stolen within hours.

“It’s disappointing but there’s kind of a mythic quality to it that we had to begin to embrace, as soon as it happens that’s the fact,” Lamothe said.

The gallery debuted on Saturday, without his sculpture but Lamothe decided to make flyers similar to those made for a lost dog in hope of perhaps finding the sculpture and also explaining to those at the gallery it’s actually gone.

“I think the story is a lot more interesting than a lot of the work I’ve made,” LaMothe said.

LaMothe has filed a police report but says he imagines the thieves took the sculpture for scrap.