Because liberal arts majors really needed another excuse to use the word 'evokes'.
A new (creepy as all hell) statue displayed in a prominent outdoor area of Wellesley College of Wellesley, Mass. is causing quite a ruckus. Shown above, the one with the guy 'sleepwalking' in his undies, the statue has been a source of conflict among current students, alumni, faculty-staff, and random internet savants whose alleged art history degrees have never shined brighter.
A work by Tony Matelli currently being displayed as part of an exhibit within The Davis Museum at Massachusetts' Wellesley College, the statue's placement and content have come under fire. While some find the statue to be "funny and haunting and out of place in all the right ways," as said by one user on the Davis Museum's Facebook page, others can't seem to find the humor.
CBS quotes a petition to remove the statue that states the work is a "source of apprehension, fear, and triggering thoughts regarding sexual assault." Combine those feelings with a campus full of tech-savvy Millennials stuck indoors at an institution of higher learning and you've got a lot of opinions with a lot of time on their hands.
The museum director, Lisa Fischman, and college President H. Kim Bottomly seem to be enjoying themselves, and the art, outcry or no. In a joint statement, reported by CBS, the officials said, "The very best works of art have the power to stimulate deeply personal emotions and to provoke unexpected new ideas, and this sculpture is no exception."
Deeply personal emotions aside, you have to wonder how the statue feels: exploited, revered, neglected, or maybe just cold. In any case, it appears he's there to stay, at least for now.
Image via Facebook