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The famous “Fearless Girl” statue on Wall Street has found a controversial little friend. Picture: Gabriella Bass
A NEW York sculptor, seething over the “Fearless Girl” statue being placed across from Wall Street’s “Charging Bull”, has decided to retaliate with a work of his own.
Alex Gardega created a statue of a small dog, titled “Pissing Pug,” and his sloppily crafted pooch takes direct aim at “Fearless Girl” — or, at least, at her left leg.
“This is corporate nonsense,” Gardega told the New York Post of “Fearless Girl,” saying it was put opposite artist Arturo Di Modica’s famed bull as a publicity stunt by a Boston-based financial firm.
“It has nothing to do with feminism, and it is disrespect to the artist that made the bull,” he said. “That bull had integrity.”
The Upper West Side artist sniffed that he even made his dog particularly poorly just to stick it to “Fearless Girl” even more.
“I decided to build this dog and make it crappy to downgrade the statue, exactly how the girl is a downgrade on the bull,” said Gardega, who has never met the other statues’ creators.
The famous “Fearless Girl” statue on Wall Street has found a controversial little friend. Picture: Gabriella BassSource:Supplied
But many female passers-by said “Fearless Girl” has come to represent women taking on Wall Street — and just about anybody else standing up to financial firms — and that Gardega’s peeing dog is misogynistic.
“That’s an a-hole move. You call this art?” said one woman, who kicked the dog statue as she walked by.
But Gardega insisted that he is “pro-feminism” and has “nothing against the sculptor whatsoever.”
Some people appreciated his artistic statement — once he explained it.
“I respect his opinion ... and that’s really cool,” said tourist Pam Guadarrama, 24, visiting from California.
Bull sculptor Di Modica is no fan of “Fearless Girl,” either, having said that placing the statue of the child opposite his bull unfairly implicates his creation.
But he refused to comment on Gardega’s “Pissing Pug.”
Di Modica is suing State Street Global Advisors, the mutual fund company that placed “Fearless Girl” opposite his work, for trademark and copyright infringement.
“Fearless Girl” was placed opposite Di Modica’s bull in March for International Women’s Day on a temporary permit — which Mayor Bill de Blasio then extended for 11 months after pressure from women’s groups to keep it around longer.
Its creator, Kristen Visbal, did not respond to requests for comment on “Pissing Pug.”
This article originally appeared on the New York Post and was reproduced with permission.