WELLESLEY — A sleep-walking man clad solely in his underwear is a bit startling to encounter on the campus of a women’s college. Even if he’s just made of bronze and paint.
“[The] 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,” claims a petition.
Hundreds of outraged students have signed a petition asking administrators to remove it.
The artist, however, is thrilled. “I was talking with the curator of the exhibition and my assistant this morning, and we were saying, ‘When was the last time a work of art was talked about so much and got so much attention?’?” sculptor Tony Matelli said Wednesday, after news of the debate rocketed around the Internet. “I can’t remember when.”
Mark Beeman (left) and Andrew Dauber of the David Museum carried the statue before it was installed on Monday.
