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The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

New Tompkins Square Park Sculpture Gets Crocheted

EAST VILLAGE — Nice sweater, man.

A new public art installation in Tompkins Square Park got outfitted for the elements over the weekend when crochet artist Olek covered the piece with one of her signature designs.

Lower East Side artist Scott Taylor placed his new work, “WALK MAN,” in the park on Saturday, only to have Olek arrive the next day to drape it in one of her multicolored ensembles.

Local blog EV Grieve snapped pictures of Olek — who is known for covering everything from bicycles and cars to the iconic “Charging Bull” sculpture in the Financial District in her trademark yarns — at work on the sculpture Sunday.

Olek had emailed the scupltor after the fact to ask his permission to keep the cover on for the next 10 days, Taylor told DNAinfo.

“I was like, ‘Whoa!’” Taylor said of learning his piece had been “politely mugged” by the yarn artist.

“I thought it was kind of funny, I didn’t have a problem with it.”

Taylor added that the piece, which will remain in the park for the next four months, will at least be protected from vandals who otherwise might let loose on the sculpture.

“I thought I’d get stickered, I thought I’d get graffitied,” he said, “but I never thought I’d get crocheted.”

The two artists met Sunday to talk about the guerilla addition, and Taylor said he’s fine with the collaboration as long no one else sees it as an opportunity to take creative license with his work.

“It’s public art. That’s the fun of public art — every day’s a new day,” he said. “It would have been really cool if this was December.”