‘Sketchy Dog’ Statue Temporarily Placed Next To ‘Fearless Girl’ & ‘Charging Bull’

Artist Alex Gardega placed a pug statue called “Sketchy Dog” right next to Fearless Girl, and appeared to be urinating on her leg.

SKETCHY DOG INSTALLED NEXT TO FEARLESS GIRL

So far, people are unsure what to think of the new addition. “Most people were amused or perplexed by it,” Gardega told NBC. “Kids petted it, people were taking pictures with it. A few were upset and kicked it.” The statue is made of clay and faux bronze and is an act of solidarity with guerilla artist Arturo Di Modica.

Di Modica is responsible for Wall Street’s famous Charging Bull statue, who was famously upset about the installation of Fearless Girl. “I have a lot of empathy for the creator of the bull, Arturo,” said Gardega. “He is very upset.”

Di Modica installed the bull in 1987 following the stock market crash as a symbol of strength and American resilience. Fearless Girl stands opposite the bull in an act of defiance, giving the bull a new meaning. Fearless Girl was commissioned by State Street Global Advisors, the creator of the Gender Diversity Index SHE. “Know the Power of Leadership, SHE makes a difference,” says the inscription on a plaque by their statue’s feet.

“That piece, [‘Fearless Girl’] was not made by some individual artist making a statement,” Gardega said. “It was made by a billion dollar financial firm trying to promote an index fund. It is advertising/promotion in the guise of art. That was my only point.”

Sketchy Dog stuck around for about three hours before the artist removed it. “I don’t want to leave it to be taken and certainly had no rights to bolt it to the ground,” he said. “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.”

In response to Sketchy Dog, a State Street Global Advisors spokeswoman put out a statement. “We continue to be grateful to the countless people around the world who continue to responded so enthusiastically to what the Fearless Girl represents — the power and potential of having more women in leadership,” she said. “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.”