Photo Tour: William Earl Kofmehl III at Lombard-Freid Projects

I had never heard of William Earl Kofmehl when I walked by the Lombard-Freid Gallery, but when I looked in the window from the street and saw the sculpture below, I knew I had to go in.




This exhibit is squirrel-oriented, and I fully approve. But it's much more bizarre than one artist's obsession with squirrels. To quote from the accompanying press release:

Adjacent to the bronze figure is a projected video displaying a conversation between the artist and Bernie Goetz, the infamous New York vigilante and prominent squirrel husbandrist who is remembered for his 1984 subway shooting.

Bernard Goetz, introduced to the artist by way of a mutual friend, becomes a particular source of inquiry and an indirect collaborator for Kofmehl’s exhibition. The Goetz incident, which epitomized New Yorkers’ frustrations with the high crime rates of the 1980s, provides a passage for Kofmehl into the New York City history.

"Squirrel husbandrist"? Anyway, here are some pictures from the exhibit. The giant squirrel looks like it's about 12 feet high, the figure on the park bench is life-size, and the embroidered panels are 10" x 8".