Sculptor of Wall St bull wants ‘Fearless Girl’ removed, saying she transforms his work into something negative
The sculptor of Wall Street’s Charging Bull statue on Wednesday demanded the removal of the Fearless Girl statue that’s faced off against the bull since last month.
Arturo Di Modica said his 3.5-metre tall bull is supposed to represent “freedom in the world, peace, strength, power and love” but Fearless Girl has turned his work’s message into something negative.
“The girl is right in front doing this, ‘Now I’m here, what are you going to do?’” Di Modica complained.
An attorney for Di Modica, Norman Siegel, said the 1.2-metre-tall bronze girl was created as part of an advertising campaign for Boston-based investment firm State Street Global Advisors and its placement opposite the bull exploits the earlier sculpture for commercial gain and negates its positive message.
Di Modica’s bull has become a familiar icon since he gave it to the city in 1989.
Artist Kristen Visbal’s statue of a girl with her hands on her hips was placed on a traffic island facing the bull on March 7.
The work was embraced by tourists and others as a symbol of female empowerment, though some critics questioned the motives of State Street, which said the statue was intended “to celebrate the power of women in leadership and to urge greater gender diversity on corporate boards.”
Critics noted that only five members of State Street’s 28-person leadership team are women.
Siegel, who joined Di Modica and other lawyers at a news conference, said the attorneys sent letters requesting the girl’s removal to Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio and the CEOs of State Street and its advertising firm, McCann Worldgroup.
De Blasio responded on Twitter that men who don’t like women taking up space “are exactly why we need ‘Fearless Girl.’”
State Street spokeswoman Anne McNally said the firm is reviewing the letter.
Siegel said he hopes the dispute can be resolved amicably but noted, “We never dismiss the possibility of litigation.”