Recently I found myself in New York City and took some time to visit the fabled charging bull statue. It was a very hot July day, yet the bull and fearless girl statue were swarmed by a mob of tourists. As I made my way through the crowd to get up close, I heard myriad languages and accents spoken as people jostled for pictures and posed for selfies.
The charging bull and fearless girl occupy a little strip called Bowling Green just a little way down Broadway from the New York Stock Exchange. In 1989, the charging bull was originally installed in the middle of Broad Street in front of the New York Stock Exchange surreptitiously at night by artist Arturo Di Modica. The guerrilla art installation was such a huge hit, that when the city confiscated it, the public outcry was so great that it was then relocated to its current location.
Since then millions of people have come to see it. It is truly an impressive sculpture, but the quality of the art doesn’t fully explain its draw. Like other pieces of great art, there’s more at work than just form and material. There’s a powerful resonance that draws people in.
The charging bull isn’t simply a representation of an animal. It’s a symbol of economic might and virility, of prosperity and power. And this symbol sits at the heart of the world’s greatest financial center, where fortune ebbs and flows, as timeless as the tides. These are themes that speak to all people, even those who aren’t focused on the markets.
As August & Wonder’s The Market was coming into form, it drew on that same resonance. Even from the first prototypes, it has had a curious power. Part of that comes from the form and materials. In a world of sleek, but cold glass and plastic, the object’s metals and natural hardwood give it an impressive presence. And it’s ability to connect to the Internet and tilt in real time to reflect what’s happening in the markets provides a unique sense of wonder and connection.
But ultimately, like the charging bull, The Market’s true power as an object comes from what it represents: the great sweep of drama in the capital markets. Because when you really think about it, whether we participate directly or not, the markets are us.
Speaking of The Market, there's less than two weeks left until pre-order pricing ends on August 17th. In the mean time, there's a window of opportunity to get The Market Series A at the pre-order price of $495 plug-in/$525 cordless. If you haven't already, put in your Pre-Order today.
Cheers,
Steve
Steve August
Founder & CEO
August & Wonder
