Photo: The Dusty Rebel
Photo: Scott Fitzgerald
As reported by DNAinfo and several area blogs, Around 8:30 PM on Sunday, January the 12th, three men used a forklift to install a modern-day Capitoline Wolf in front of an old ASPCA building on Butler Street in Gowanus, Brooklyn. A passing resident who chatted briefly with the men positioning the sculpture said that it wasn’t sanctioned by the city, but that “they hoped it would stay put for a while.”
The sculpture depicts a distinctly humanoid female wolf with a lolling tongue, crouched on top of the ASPCA’s horse trough. The words “WOLF TITS” are carved into the wolf’s claws, although it’s unclear if that’s the sculpture’s name (rather ignominious for such a stately creature), or the artist’s signature. The Wolf Tits tag has been seen in the area before, but Daniel Albanese of The Dusty Rebel told DNAinfo that it’s hard to say if there’s a connection because the styles of the sculpture and the tags are so different.
Photo: Jowy Romano / Instagram
Interestingly, a photo showing the signed claws “pre installation” and seemingly indoors appeared on subway art blogger Jowy Romano‘s Instagram feed two weeks ago, followed by a photo of the sculpture in its new home. Whatever this lady’s story is, I’m glad she’s here, and I hope she sticks around.
See the DNAinfo article for more photos and an exploration of the neighbourhood. Thanks to HowlOutCast for sharing!