Viewpoints
Manure statue a fitting tribute
Phil Riddle, Democrat Editor
A New Zealand sculptor has crafted what many might view as the perfect tribute to politicians.
As a protest for a perceived soft stance on environmental issues, the artist, Sam Mahon, shaped the bust of New Zealand Environment Minister Nick Smith from cow manure.
Mahon’s choice of subject and medium, according to the Associated Press, was made out of his concern for pollution caused by dairy farms.
His reasoning aside, some disgruntled American voters might consider the work a classic tribute to bureaucrats, elected and otherwise.
Have you ever wondered why the grounds around government buildings are always surrounded by lush green lawns and healthy plants?
It’s because they have direct access to an unlimited flow of taxpayer-funded fertilizer.
Mahon shoveled the material for his sculpture from an organic dairy farm, then pulverized it in a coffee grinder.
Note to self: If you ever go to New Zealand, don’t have the coffee.
The artist then mixed the manure with a polymer resin and pressed it into a mold.
Another note to self: If you ever go to New Zealand, don’t drink the coffee and don’t shake hands with any politically active artists.
After the mix dried in the mold, Mahon polished it with beeswax to a finish that reportedly looks like bronze.
So, there is a statue that looks for all the world like bronze, and is actually made of meadow muffins.
How fitting.
Certain politicians, apparently even in New Zealand, offer constituents a load of bovine excrement disguised as, oh, I don’t know, an economic stimulus package of some sort, and expect them to believe it is of some inherent, lasting value, other than keeping the lawns of government buildings green.
There is another aspect of the dubious artwork that is, according to some, appropriate.
“The sculpture has a hollow head,” Mahon said, adding it is highly polished and sits slightly to the right of center.
And he swears it doesn’t smell.
What good is a load of fertilizer, even in the shape of a beleaguered Environment Minister?
More than you’d think.
An auction Web site reported the bust sold to an anonymous buyer for more than $3,000.
Sounds like the artist has more in common with his targeted politicians than he’d like to admit.
First, he unloaded a wheelbarrow full of dairy farm waste at art prices.
He now knows how high he can pile buffalo bagels and still get positive attention.
And he is convinced his manure doesn’t stink.
- Viewpoints
-
-
John Doe’s addiction
How addicted are we to the federal dole? More than we realize or care to admit.
-
The taxi cab TV thief
The bad guys on TV and in the movies are always looking to steal valuables from unsuspecting victims. That’s just what they do.
-
The tip of the spear
The term, “Tip of the Spear,” has been used over the ages to describe the lead element of a weapon or offensive military assault. The tip of a spear, arrow or lance is the sharp, pointed or cutting edge that tears into the quarry or foe to impose dominance over it. It enables the ultimate victory.
-
The Oscars remain a guilty pleasure
Did you watch the Academy Awards Sunday night? I did. I do every year. It’s my guilty pleasure in life, watching the rich and famous parade in front of the world and thank everyone from the Academy to their parents to their agents for “all you do,” whatever that may be.
-
Poll: Lottery proceeds would go to retirement
It’s an intriguing thought.
If you had millions of dollars fall in your lap, how would you spend it. -
Texas traffic and the angry emu
As a driver in Texas, I have become pretty jaded.
There’s not a lot we don’t see.
Rolling west on Interstate 20 across the flatlands to a bumper-to-bumper 200-mile jaunt south on I-35, drivers in our state are apt to see anything. -
County steps up for its own in UW campaign
It’s an old saying Texans, long known for their spirit of independence, are especially fond of.
“When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”
And did they ever. -
The age of majority
Are you one of those rare and unique individuals who never did anything really stupid or embarrassing when you were a teenager? No? Yeah right, I didn’t either.
-
Keep your laws off my body
“It’s a free country.”
That’s a popular saying — and true in many ways. But for a free country, America does ban a lot of things that are perfectly peaceful and consensual. Why is that? - It Takes a Village Idiot
- More Viewpoints Headlines
-
John Doe’s addiction
