Wellesley Sleepwalker Resurfaces in New York City

WELLESLEY, MA - Remember the Wellesley sleepwalker?

Of course you do. The zombified middle-aged man in sagging tighty-whities is branded into your memory for life.

He caused quite the commotion when he appeared seemingly out of nowhere on the Wellesley College campus two years ago, eliciting discomfort from the all-female student body.

The brainchild of artist Tony Matelli, the statue was displayed outside of the Davis Museum as part of Matelli's "New Gravity" exhibit.

It offended and appalled some, yet amused and inspired others, so really in a way it did its job as art.

Though a petition to remove him from the campus received more than 700 signatures, the museum's director countered with this explanation:

Matelli's Sleepwalker -- considered up close -- is a man in deep sleep. Arms outstretched, eyes closed, he appears vulnerable and unaware against the snowy backdrop of the space around him. He is not naked. He is profoundly passive. He is inert, as sculpture. But he does inspire narrative. He appears to have drifted away from wherever he belongs and one wonder why; one wonders also how he has gotten so lost, so off course. He is a figure of pathos, and one that warrants measured consideration. Perhaps he carries metaphorical weight. Art provokes dialogue, and discourse is the core of education. In that spirit, I am enormously glad to have your response.

Which sounds a lot like just describing what someone would look like sleepwalking in the snow and attributing a profound meaning to it.

But, she may have been onto something, as the sleepwalker is back. And he's getting his Macauley Culkin on, taking his adventures to the Big Apple for the sequel.

He is now part of "Wanderlust," a new art exhibit at the High Line in New York City.

Read a full review of the new exhibit, which has added some additional art pieces to make your skin crawl, from the Gothamist here.

Photo Credit: WHDH, 7-News