Fearless Girl with Sketchy Dog
New York-based artist, Alex Gardega’s modification to celebrated Fearless Girl statue on Wall Street saw mixed reactions Monday morning. The short-lived installation, Sketchy Dog, constructed out of clay and faux bronze, appeared to be urinating on the female- empowering statue. While many stopped, laughed and took pictures; others’ heads spun with disbelief.
Fearless Girl, installed this past March, was created by Uruguay-born artist Kristen Visbal. The bronze, which stands at just over 4 feet, depicts a young Latina girl standing in the direct path of the popular tourist attraction, Charging Bull. Commissioned by State Street Global Advisors, the statue calls attention to the gender pay gap and lack of women on corporate financial sector boards.
According to NBCnews, Gardega meant no disrespect to Visbal’s statue, but rather an act of solidarity to Arturo Di Modica’s Charging Bull which stands adjacent to the young girl.
Charging Bull was created by Italian-born artist, Arturo Di Modica in 1989. The bronze, standing 11 feet tall, depicts a bull ready to charge; symbolizing America’s resilience after the stock market collapse two years prior.
Gardega continues with: I’m a pretty happy person, not seething or angry and certainly not anti-feminist. My piece is not without a sense of humor but I do feel for Arturo and the integrity of his art….There is plenty of room for ‘Fearless Girl.’ It just interferes with another artist’s work/vision.
There are different points of view on this … personally, I side with the artists.