How One Man Sculpted Wall Street

You recognize this guy, right?  Photographed here by David Paul Ohmer on Flickr, this is the charging bull sculpture located a couple blocks from the New York stock exchange and meant to symbolize the strength and power of the American people.  The media often still uses it today to reflect optimism in the stock market.  So, you probably haven't seen a lot of it lately.  That is, unless you got a glimpse of it the day people were praying to it for a positive change in the economy.

The bull was the sole idea of its sculptor and was originally placed on Wall Street without anyone's permission.  It was sculpted and placed there after the stock market crash of 1987.  Apparently the police impounded it, but the people cried out for its return.  I like this story.  I like when artists find a way to raise our awareness as well as our hopes.

A lot of educational tours to New York City include a visit to the famous bull of Wall Street, or more appropriately now of Bowling Green.  It is one of the most photographed attractions in the city.  It certainly seems to capture the American spirit in many ways as well as the spirit of this powerful, buzzing financial district as epitomized by Wall Street.  I'm beginning to understand why in the game of Pitt, which mimics the stock exchange, the bull card counts for you if you win - but way, way against you if you lose.

I think it's a bit much to pray to the guy.  But I definitely like the idea of a little tangible inspiration to keep us believing in our ability to get through this and to come out as truly powerful and American as ever.  What I want to know is, what timeless artistic work are we going to see at the end of our current trouble?