A brand new statue installed at the all-women Wellesley College outside of Boston is causing quite the commotion.. mainly because it's of a man in his tighty-whities. Are the complaints justified, or just dumb?
The hyper-realistic sculpture by artist Tony Matelli depicts a middle-aged man sleepwalking through the snow in his underwear, a creation that was installed near the campus center in order to draw attention to the upcoming New Gravity art exhibit, but Sleepwalker hasn't been well-received by the students at all. As of today, there are well over a hundred signatures calling for it's removal from campus.
Zoe Magid, a Wellesley College junior majoring in political science, started the petition to have Sleepwalker removed.
[T]his highly lifelike sculpture has, within just a few hours of its outdoor installation, become a source of apprehension, fear, and triggering thoughts regarding sexual assault for many members of our campus community. While it may appear humorous, or thought-provoking to some, it has already become a source of undue stress for many Wellesley College students, the majority of whom live, study, and work in this space.
Of course, not everyone was upset by the out-of-place installation.
"I find it disturbing, but in a good way," Sarah Wall-Randell, an English professor at Wellesley told the Boston Globe. "I think it's meant to be off-putting -- it's a schlumpy guy in underpants in an all-women environment."
As of now, there's no telling whether or not Sleepwalker will last until the closing night of the New Gravity exhibit, but those interested in seeing that piece and others can head to Wellesley College from now until the February 11th.
Do you think the zombie-like sculpture of the balding schlub crossed a line with it's installation on the women-only campus? Or was the petition an overreaction? Let us know what you think in the comments.
[Images via Twitter]