To Sleep, Perchance to Scream: Undies Sculpture Disturbs Some

[onedef92]

Undies Sculpture: 'I Find It Disturbing, But in a Good Way'

WELLESLEY, Mass. February 5, 2014



A statue of a man sleepwalking in his underpants is surrounded by snow on the campus of Wellesley College in Wellesley, Mass., Feb. 5, 2014 (and junk).

A remarkably lifelike sculpture of a man sleepwalking in nothing but his underpants has made some Wellesley College students a bit uncomfortable, but the president of the prestigious women's school says that's all part of the intellectual process.

The sculpture entitled "Sleepwalker" of a man in an eyes-closed, zombie-like trance is part of an exhibit by sculptor Tony Matelli at the college's Davis Museum. It was placed at a busy area of campus on Monday, a few days before the official opening of the exhibit, and prompted an online student petition to have it removed.

The sculpture is a "source of apprehension, fear, and triggering thoughts regarding sexual assault" for many, according to the petition, which had nearly 300 signees on Wednesday.

The petition started by junior Zoe Magid called on President H. Kim Bottomly to have the artwork removed.

That appeared unlikely, according to a joint statement issued Wednesday by Bottomly and museum Director Lisa Fischman.

"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," the statement said. The sculpture "has started an impassioned conversation about art, gender, sexuality and individual experience, both on campus and on social media."

The sculpture was placed outdoors specifically to get a reaction and to connect the indoor exhibition with the world beyond, Fischman said.

"I love the idea of art escaping the museum and muddling the line between what we expect to be inside (art) and what we expect to be outside (life)," she wrote.

Reaction from the campus community was mixed.

Freshman Bridget Schreiner told The Boston Globe she was "freaked out" the first time she saw the sculpture, thinking for a moment that a real, nearly naked man was lingering on campus.

"This could be a trigger for students who have experienced sexual assault," she said.

Others were more understanding.

"I find it disturbing, but in a good way," English professor Sarah Wall-Randell said. "I think it's meant to be off-putting. It's a schlumpy guy in underpants in an all-women environment."

The exhibit opens Thursday and closes July 20.

[DukeAllen]

All women's school with a statue of a half naked man. Can we have an all men's school with statues of a half naked woman? I guess that would be sexist.
smh

[simpleman68]

Fastguy shaved his head?
Scott

[Fastguy]

Originally Posted by simpleman68

Fastguy shaved his head?
Scott

Not yet.
That has been all over the local news. Pretty freaky.

[simpleman68]

Originally Posted by Fastguy

Not yet.
That has been all over the local news. Pretty freaky.

Looks very real. I'm guessing wax/composite of some sort? Must be fairly pricey to make that life-like.
Scott

[Fastguy]

If it was a co-ed campus, it would already have been stolen/vandalized/photobombed.

[DukeAllen]

Originally Posted by simpleman68

Looks very real. I'm guessing wax/composite of some sort? Must be fairly pricey to make that life-like.
Scott

It does look real. mmmm

[Cybercowboy]

Originally Posted by simpleman68

Looks very real. I'm guessing wax/composite of some sort? Must be fairly pricey to make that life-like.
Scott

I was at an art gallery last year and saw this:



The closer you looked at it, the more real it seemed. Eesh.

[simpleman68]

Originally Posted by Cybercowboy

I was at an art gallery last year and saw this:


The closer you looked at it, the more real it seemed. Eesh.

That type of artistry amazes me. I can't even draw something that looks much better than a cartoon from the 50s.

There must be airbrushing to get that pigmentation; and how the hell do they make whiskers? Very
Scott

[onedef92]

Originally Posted by DukeAllen

It does look real. mmmm

Infinitely preferable to the sucky 2005 remake with ol' girl Paris Hilton.

[Cybercowboy]

Originally Posted by onedef92

Infinitely preferable to the sucky 2005 remake with ol' girl Paris Hilton.

I see Paris is in the same pose as she was in when she made that night-vision video.

[onedef92]

A frozen Jack Nicholson or Kristin Stewart (Zathura) mockup would've been a hoot, too.