From boardrooms to Hollywood, the call for gender equality has never been louder than in the past year.
Whether proponents are letting their voices be heard in the voting booth, or during marches in our nation’s capitol, the message is being heard loud and clear.
That same message was broadcast in a much quieter way on March 8th of this year when the “Fearless Girl” statue was placed in Bowling Green Park in the financial district of New York City.
Kristen Visbal of Lewes is the artist who created the statue that is poised in a stand-position facing the “Charging Bull” that’s been there for nearly 30 years.
Visbal was commissioned to make the statue by State Street Global Advisers as a way to call on their clients to increase the number of women on corporate boards.
Visbal said when she created “Fearless Girl,” she had no idea the statue was going to start such an important conversation.
“I think this is art at its very best,” said Visbal. “It’s generating debate, even as to whether or not ‘Fearless Girl’ should remain at Bowling Green Park with the bull, or be moved elsewhere.”
The artist who created the bull, Arturo Di Modica claims his legal rights have been violated and that Visbal has appropriated the bull to help highlight her creation.
In response to Di Modica’s claim, Visbal said she would have thought that he would embrace this figure in an attitude of fun with sculpture.
“‘Fearless Girl’ does not change the message of the strength of the American people or the strength of the bull market in America,” said Visbal
The idea for “Fearless Girl” was pitched to Visbal because of her work modeling children and casting in bronze. Her earlier work can be seen in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. It’s a sculpture of a boy riding a dolphin called “Sea Express.” Another sculpture called “In Search of Atlantis,” features a young girl riding a sea turtle. It is also in Florida at Atlantic Beach.
Since “Fearless Girl” made its appearance in March, Visbal has been inundated with requests ranging from media interviews to the development of “Fearless Girl” merchandise leaving her little time to work on her next project.
Visbal is starting a distortion series.
“I’ve been working for 19 years in realism with all of the rules and regulations of human anatomy and in a very tight fashion, ” said Visbal. “Now I want to loosen it up a bit.”
