Our own Bobby Williams was on the scene... and captured the aftermath...
Figuring that this might become an ongoing art-vs.vandal battle, artist Scott Taylor decided to remove the sculpture and take it home...
Now all that's left of "Walk Man" — a few holes in the ground.
Based on anecdotal research, the reaction to this (roughly!) falls into four groups:
• Now this is the East Village that I remember!
• It's too bad that we can't have anything nice here.
• Fucking crusties.
• I don't really care.
A sampling of the comments from the 17 left on our post yesterday:
Oh boo, what goddamn lowlife had to knock it over? I liked that thing; a spot of pure white amidst the greenery and dirt of the park.
IT WAS THE RATS. THE RATS, I SAY!
I like to see art in the park, but this sculpture is beyond wack. It's just so corporate and inoffensive and unimaginative and BLAH.
The sweater livelied it up ... the ramming was probs rude, yes, but my god -- toughen up Walk Man! You are the symbol of walking in NYC traffic and you wee-wee-wee all the way home at the first sign of hostility? Where is your street cred, man? The old "WALK/DONT WALK" letters would never put up with this shit! If they got rammed they'd fucking stand up the next day, battered and ready to brawl!
I'm sure there's some nice office building in Midtown where you can rest peacefully next to the security desk. I can't promise that security folks won't also find you super lame, art-wise, but at least you'll be safe. From sweaters.
