'Pissing Pug' statue installed next to 'Fearless Girl'
A New York City artist is not a fan of the Fearless Girl — in fact, he’s pissed.
On Monday, Alex Gardega defiantly placed his sculpture of a dog, lifting its leg to pee, next to the bronze pony-tailed girl staring down the iconic Charging Bull on Wall Street. But after just a few hours, he removed the “Pissing Pug.”
“It’s basically there to advertise an index fund,” Gardega told Fortune on Tuesday. “It’s kind of just corporate advertising which I think has totally ruined the Bull.”
Gardega told Fortune he only spent a couple of hours constructing the statue, intentionally making the statue “very raw” out of paper mache, clay and faux bronze. He personally removed the statue around 12 p.m. on Monday after three people kicked it and one man threw it, he said.
The urinating dog statue, which was first reported by the New York Post, sparked controversy on social media. Many people slammed Gardega’s temporary addition to the Bowling Green square in Manhattan’s Financial District, with one person saying it was an example of “male fragility.”
Sculpted by artist Kristen Visbal, the Fearless Girl statue was erected across from the Charging Bull back in March to commemorate International Women’s Day in hopes of starting a conversation about female leadership. The piece was commissioned by Boston-based investment firm State Street Global Advisors.
Though it was originally supposed to stay just for a week, due to its popularity, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the Fearless Girl would stay at least until Feb. 2018 — and some officials are pushing for it to become a permanent fixture.
The creator of the “Charging Bull” statue, Arturo Di Modica, has voiced frustration about the Fearless Girl, calling it an “advertising trick.” Modica did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Gardega’s sentiment on the Fearless Girl echoes that expressed by Di Modica, who Gardega said he was hoping to defend with his temporary installment.
“The statue invades the space of his artwork, and so I was showing that by invading that sculpture’s space with my little dog,” Gardega said.
“I’m in his corner,” he added.
Though he has not determined what he will do with the statue now, Gardega said it will likely make a return to the Fearless Girl sometime next week — perhaps with the addition of golden puppies.
For now, Gardega said his goal of spreading awareness about the corporate origins of the statue have been accomplished.
When reached by Fortune, State Street did not comment on Gardega’s actions, but reiterated the purpose of the Fearless Girl.
“Fearless Girl was created to stand as a reminder that having more women in leadership positions positively contributes to overall performance and strengthens our economy,” State Street said in a statement.
This story originally appeared on Fortune.com.
