NEW YORK - A controversial art installation on the Lower East Side is drawing mixed reactions.

A four story tall realistic depiction of a penis was painted on the side of an apartment building on Broome Street between Forsyth and Eldridge on Christmas Eve.

Swedish graffiti artist Carolina Falkholt wrote on her Instagram page that she's never heard so much laughter and seen so many happy faces while painting.

But the graphic image has also drawn a lot of outrage, with many calling it offensive and demanding it be taken down.

"It seems like a disturbance to the neighborhood, just like public disturbance. I don't know, just like an invasion of privacy, you know. Do you really want to wake up to wake up to something like that in the morning," said one passerby.

"I think it's disgusting and why would they put that there. Now nobody wants to live there. It's crazy," said another passerby.

City Councilwoman Margaret Chin, who represents that area, released a statement that reads in part, "There is a place for artistic expression such as this -- just not on the side of a building that is a block away from a school, and in a community that is actively fighting to preserve the livability of their neighborhood."