#26 - 'Fearless Girl' is Here to Stay

picture courtesy of Glamour Magazine

In the interest of full disclosure, I should let you know that I have had no formal education in the world of art.  Oh, it’s entirely possible that I took a course in college on art appreciation, but that was sooo long ago, I couldn't really say.  I do however enjoy going to museums to see the product, the creativity, the beauty, and the expressions of real artists who are so much more talented than I am.  And every once in a while, you see an exhibit or just a single piece that seems to speak directly to you, that makes you feel good, that puts a serious smile on your face, and somehow your faith in the world is replenished, at least for brief moment.  And you leave the museum with a little extra bounce in your step.

‘Fearless Girl’ does that for me

Installed in early March, ‘Fearless Girl’ was created by the sculptor Kristen Visbal and erected in lower Manhattan by the financial firm State Street Global Advisors (SSGA) in honor of International Women’s Day.  By itself, this little statute is a beautiful piece of work.  This little girl looking up at the world with confidence and strength seems to be saying “Get ready world, I am coming.  I am small now, but I am on way”.   However, the real genius is its placement directly across from the iconic ‘Charging Bull’ of Wall Street.  ’Fearless Girl’ staring down ‘Charging Bull’.  Only in America. 

Intended to encourage companies to put more women on their boards, SSGA said in a statement that the statue celebrates “the power of women in leadership and the potential of the next generation of women leaders.”   ‘Fearless Girl’ was originally only granted a one month stay in Bowling Green Park, but Mayor Bill de Blasio has granted it a longer stay, at least through February 2018.  

A few critics have commented that this is nothing more than a convoluted public relations play, including Arturo DiModica, the sculptor of ‘Charging Bull’.  ’Charging Bull’ was placed in Bowling Green park without permission under the cover of night in 1989, but the city allowed it to remain, as it served as an important symbol of American resilience following the stock market crash of 1987.    

Another champion of ‘Charging Bull’ is one Arthur Piccolo (no relation of which I am aware, but I have too many cousins to count).  artnet News reports that Piccolo has said that the placement of ‘Fearless Girl’ in front of DiModica's work effectively creates a brand new work and impairs DiModica's copyright and should be removed.   Piccolo has suggested that Visbal support his efforts to move The ‘Fearless Girl’ “where she belongs, where she can do REAL good, standing in front of the New York Stock Exchange.” 

While I believe one must give credence to Piccolo's point, I still love ‘Fearless Girl’.   I applaud Ms. Visbal’s work.  I think it's brilliant.  It is a statute for our times, just as ‘Charging Bull’ was back in 1989. 

Acknowledging my aforementioned lack of knowledge of the world of art, there is one thing I know.  Artists want viewers of their work to find their own individual interpretation. They hope that the beautiful uniqueness of their work will speak to individuals as if they were in an intimate conversation.   For me, ‘Fearless Girl’ speaks volumes.  Not only is she a young girl staring down the business titans of Wall Street, but she also represents the little startup staring down big established companies, the worker earning minimum wage starting down powerful management, and David staring down Goliath. Most notably, ‘Fearless Girl’ pays tribute to another iconic image, that of the young college student staring down a Chinese army tank in Tiananmen Square.   It's all there, in this single piece of art 

Most importantly, she is a stirring reminder of the American Dream. If you fight hard enough and work long enough, if you are smart enough and tough enough, no matter how small you are, you can still succeed.  As an old white guy with a college degree, the challenges in my life have all been small ones, but ‘Fearless Girl’ inspires hope that my own children will have the strength and the courage to take on forces larger than them. In this country, despite our issues, this remains a very real possibility.

I suspect that the debate around a permanent home for ‘Fearless Girl’ will continue for some time, and I would not attempt to handicap it.  Whether she is staring down ‘Charging Bull’ or the New York Stock Exchange or placed across the entrance to the White House (wouldn't that be fitting?) or simply placed in in an open space in Central Park all by herself staring out at the world in front of her, our little friend is here to stay. 

‘Fearless Girl’ represents the America in which I choose to live.  She stands for the America I love.   So when we all start hypothesizing about making America great again, make no mistake, I want ‘Fearless Girl’ on my side.   We all do.